Diana Flores began playing flag football on dusty fields where women were not even allowed on the main field.
Two decades later, the Mexican quarterback has led her country to two consecutive gold medals at the World Games and is out to prove that her sport deserves recognition as more than just a recreational cousin of American football.
The 28-year-old has been a part of the Mexican national team for 12 years, leading it to victories against the United States at the 2022 and 2025 World Games. Those triumphs have put flag football in the spotlight, and now she will debut at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
“This is a professional sport that is not only now an Olympic sport for LA 28, but also opens up opportunities for athletes to get a scholarship and attend university in the United States or here in Mexico,” Flores told Reuters on Wednesday.
However, as the sport rises to prominence, Flores is fighting the misconception that flag football is simply a watered-down version of American football or an alternative option for athletes who couldn’t make it in the NFL.
“They are two different sports,” Flores said. The main difference from flag football is that there is no contact. The team advances down the field through a series of offensive tackle plays performed by removing one of two cloth flags attached to the ball carrier’s waist.
You may be interested: Los Angeles Olympic Games will have air taxis to reduce traffic jams
“Flag football is more creative. It’s about speed, agility and inclusion. Therefore, it has its own characteristics that must be addressed in its own way,” he added.
That is the main message of his book “Flag Football for Dummies”, which explains the sport from the rules to the strategies. “I wanted to give people the tools to become flag football athletes and everything they need to shine on the field,” he added.
Creating opportunities for women
The beginning of Flores’ career was a master lesson in perseverance. At the age of eight, in Mexico City, after her father introduced her to the sport as part of the Águilas Blancas team, she began playing with older girls on fields inferior to those of the men. At 13, she was the only woman in otherwise all-male leagues. At 14, he had to travel to the United States alone to play with girls his age for the first time.
“I remember that the place where we started playing was practically a dirt field. We were part of a club; they had an incredible soccer field, natural grass and spectacular lighting. But back then we were not allowed to step on it because our sport did not have the respect that it has now,” he recalled.
Today, the transformation is remarkable. Scholarships are proliferating, 16 US states have sanctioned flag football and the sport is moving towards NCAA Division I.
Flores was crucial to the growing interest, as his profile skyrocketed after starring in “Run with it,” an ad for the Emmy-winning NFL Super Bowl in 2023, alongside tennis legend Billie Jean King. A particularly significant moment, as King became her hero after a teenage Google search for “girls vs. boys sports.”
Read: TelevisaUnivision acquires rights to the Olympic Games until 2032
However, suitable career opportunities remain elusive. “They know that right now we can’t make a living from the sport we love. So hopefully that will change in the coming years,” Flores said.
As the Olympics approach, questions have been raised about whether NFL stars could take up flag football and eclipse the sport’s most dedicated athletes. Last year, teams around the league passed a resolution to allow their players to compete in flag football, with notable figures such as Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Jalen Hurts and Joe Burrow expressing interest.
Flores doesn’t believe it. “It’s not that easy to come here and eclipse what flag football athletes have been doing for a long time, because it takes preparation, it takes a real commitment to this, to reach the level of flag football athletes.”
Beyond the field, Flores chairs the International Football Federation’s Athletes’ Committee, where she works to create leadership pathways for women in sports administration.
Her mission is clear: “I believe I found my purpose through this sport. The purpose of simply helping create opportunities for girls and women on and off the field.”
With information from Reuters
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and don’t miss our content
