It all started with a flyer her brother brought home from school — a local league was looking for flag football players. Curious, a then-5-year-old Akemi Higa asked if she could join. Even at that age, she could already launch the ball 20 yards downfield.
Years of passing yards and touchdown throws later, the 17-year-old quarterback from Hawaii/Las Vegas has become part of a new generation reshaping the U.S. women’s national flag football team. The timing makes sense: the sport is surging in popularity and is set to make its Olympic debut at the 2028 LA Games.
This week, at a training camp in California, Higa is competing for a roster spot that would send her to Germany to represent Team USA at the IFAF flag football world championships later this summer.
“More people are getting into it and more people are getting better at it,” said Higa, a strong-armed QB who will play flag football at Nevada State University. “You start young and grow with the game — constantly learning new ways of playing the game.”
The women’s team at this camp has an average age of 26, nearly two full years younger than it was just three seasons ago. Six players on the current roster are under 21 years old.
The men’s side is trending younger as well. The average age dropped from 29.4 in 2024 to 28.6 this season. Two 21-year-olds — receiver Jorge Cascudo Jr. and safety Justin McMullen — are among those fighting for a spot on the Germany-bound squad.
This week’s camp serves as the final evaluation, trimming the roster from 18 players down to 12. Both the men’s and women’s teams will also take on Canada on Friday in Los Angeles as part of USA Football’s Rivalry Series.
Earning a spot on the team means valuable international experience — something that could be crucial when flag football hits the Olympic stage two summers from now.
“That’s in the back of my mind,” said 20-year-old receiver/quarterback Maci Joncich, speaking about the LA Games. “Every single day, everything I do is around that. I wake up and if I’m like, ‘You know what? I don’t really want to go for a run today. I don’t really want to work out.’ In the back of my mind, it’s like, ‘Do you want to be an Olympian?’”
Higa is in contention for the quarterback position after 45-year-old Vanita Krouch, a dominant force in women’s flag football, did not make the 18-person roster due to a knee issue. Krouch addressed the situation on Instagram, writing: “Plain and simple, I was outplayed these last two training camps, and the women selected earned their spots.”
Higa grew up playing flag football on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Her family relocated to Las Vegas in 2022 to take advantage of the sport’s growing momentum. She and her twin sister and receiver, Akiko, quickly became standout players. During her career at Desert Oasis High School, Akemi threw for 22,476 yards and 371 touchdowns. Alongside Higa, Joncich and Valentina Fanetti — a 21-year-old from New Jersey — are among the quarterbacks competing for roster spots.
“It’s crazy just to see how much growth the sport has had,” Higa said, “and just how many girls are interested in it.”
The numbers back that up. More than 68,800 girls played high school flag football in 2024, a 60% increase over the prior year, according to a survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations.
Women’s flag football is also on track to earn NCAA championship status, with a potential title game possibly taking place in the spring before the sport’s Olympic debut.
High-profile investors have taken notice as well. Mark Cuban and Aaron Rodgers have both made philanthropic contributions to USA Football in support of the women’s game, and the NFL has been actively promoting it too.
Players are coming from diverse athletic backgrounds. Joncich, for example, played basketball, soccer, and tennis growing up before committing to flag football. She’s been part of the USA Football program since 2022 and recently signed with Cal Poly after playing for the University of Florida’s club team.
One moment that stuck with her: a mother reaching out to say her daughter had chosen Joncich as the subject of a school project.
“I sent her one of my jerseys,” Joncich said. “This is inspiring me to do better and inspiring me to do more things.”
On the men’s side, Cascudo and McMullen are chasing spots on a roster whose oldest player is 36-year-old quarterback Darrell “Housh” Doucette III. Cascudo has deep roots in the sport — his father, Jorge, is a flag football legend who now coaches the men’s national team.
“Growing up in Miami, all you hear is, ‘Your dad’s the GOAT. Your dad’s the Tom Brady of flag,’” Cascudo said. “Growing up, I didn’t know what that meant. Getting older, I started to see it. It’s just amazing to see the sport growing so fast.”
