More than 200 of Canada’s top young flag football players are in Ottawa this weekend, competing for a national championship while helping showcase one of the country’s fastest-growing sports. The NFL Flag National Tournament at the University of Ottawa’s Gee-Gees Field has brought together 21 teams from across Canada, with players competing in the under-10, under-12, under-14 co-ed, and under-14 girls’ divisions. For sisters Naomie and Victoria Bowen of Montreal, the tournament is unlike anything they’ve experienced before. The siblings, who play for Flight School Football’s under-14 girls’ team, only started playing flag football this year, but have already earned the opportunity to compete on the national stage. “I’m really nervous, and it’s my first time playing a tournament like this,” said Naomie Bowen. Despite the nerves, both say they’re simply grateful for the opportunity. “I’m really just happy to be here, and if we ever win, it would be even more accomplished,” Bowen said. This year’s championship marks the first time an all-girls under-14 division has been included at the Canadian National Championship, another sign of the sport’s rapid growth. That growth is expected to continue as flag football prepares to make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. “In like two short years we’ll be able to see flag on the Olympic stage,” said Jaclyn LaForce with NFL Canada. “For kids in the 10-year (old) division, they have that long pathway to look up to and someday maybe see themselves on those podiums.” Ottawa native and Los Angeles Chargers first-round draft pick Akheem Mesidor also stopped by the tournament Saturday. “I think it’s going to be awesome,” Mesidor said of the sport’s continued expansion. “Being able to expand the game to different countries now… I think football is going to grow and become a bigger game than it is now.” NFL Canada says making the sport appealing to both young boys and girls remain a top priority. “Flag Football is the most accessible version of our sport,” LaForce said. “It’s for boys and girls of all ages and abilities. Our goal with NFL Flag is to get as many boys and girls to try the sport, and hopefully they’ll stick with it.” For Flight School Football coach Jamil Springer, the national championship is about much more than winning. “This is essentially like the mini-Olympics for them,” Springer said. “Now with the Olympics coming in 2028, hopefully somebody on this field is going to take part in that from Team Canada, whether it’s a boy or a girl.” Championship games continue Sunday at Gee-Gees Field. The winners of the under-14 co-ed division will represent Canada in the international division of the NFL Flag Championships in Indianapolis next month, while the under-14 girls’ champions will travel to Mexico City later this year to compete in the NFL Flag Girls Continental Series.
