National Flag Football, a National Football League (NFL) affiliate and the largest youth flag football organization in the country, is coming to North Carolina this spring. The program provides girls and boys ages 4 – 14 a safe and fun flag football league for all skill levels and is designed to educate young people about football while emphasizing participation and sportsmanship. The league’s spring season will be April 2 – June 11.
“We are so excited to have our first season in North Carolina,” said Bryan Ledin, Executive Director of National Flag Football. “North Carolina is a hot bed for great football, from powerhouse high schools all the way through to the Carolina Panthers. Plus, with tackle football programs experiencing a decline in participation rates due to parents worried about safety and cost, we really see National Flag Football as something that can step in and fill a need.”
Games will be played at 14 different locations throughout Cabarrus, Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Forsyth, Guilford, Union and Wake counties. Teams will be formed by students from the same schools and grade, giving children the opportunity to participate as a team with their classmates.
The eight-week spring season will consist of eight practices and seven games. Practices are scheduled an hour before each game, resulting in a two hour, one-day-a-week commitment to the league. All participants will receive a reversible NFL Flag Football jersey representing one of the 32 NFL teams, and an NFL flag belt and flags, all of which is theirs to keep.
Games are played in a five-on-five format on a 60-yard-long field and provide young players a fun and exciting opportunity to engage in non-contact, continuous action while learning lessons in teamwork. All games are officiated by certified and trained officials.
The registration deadline is Feb. 24 and can be completed here. Fees range from $119 to $139 depending on the team location. National Flag Football is currently running a Facebook contest to waive registration fees for three of its fans. To enter, contestants can visit the National Flag Football – Carolinas Facebook page, like and share the 2017 spring promotion post and comment at which location they would like to play and why they like flag football. Three winners will be randomly selected on Feb. 24.
For more information, contact the National Flag Football office at 877-866-FLAG or www.NationalFlagFootball.com.