Over the past decade, the expansion of women flag soccer has continued to speed up. At the highschool, collegiate, nationwide and worldwide ranges, an increasing number of athletes are getting an opportunity to play the nice sport of soccer. Only recently, flag soccer was added to the slate for the 2028 Summer season Olympics, marking an enormous leap ahead for the sport and its athletes.
Bucs director of rehabilitation and efficiency Maral Javadifar – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Whereas there’s nonetheless extra room to develop, the kind of development that the sport has seen in such a brief period of time wouldn’t have been attainable with out the assistance of some essential individuals and organizations.
Over time, the Bucs have been a type of organizations. They’ve long led the charge for women in football, and being the first team to employ two full-time female assistant coaches is only one instance. What they’ve continued to do for the sport of women flag soccer is one other, and final week was a vital one on that entrance.
To kick off the week, the organization hosted an event referred to as “Flag Soccer on the Worldwide Stage: The Pathway to Changing into an Olympian” at Raymond James Stadium. USA Soccer’s Scott Hallenback and Eric Mayes have been a part of the panel, as was U.S. Girls’s Nationwide Group quarterback Vanita Crouch, Dasha Smith from the league workplace and Izell Reese from NFL Flag.
Kicking off our sixth annual Women Flag Soccer Preseason Traditional with greater than 1,500 of our favourite athletes 💪@AdventHealth | @usnikefootball pic.twitter.com/d5EMPSU1SS
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers Basis (@BucsFoundation) February 15, 2024
Bucs Are Proud Of Their Position In The Progress Of Women Flag Soccer
Bucs co-chair Darcie Glazer Kassewitz and GM Jason Licht – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Bucs proprietor/president Darcie Glazer Kassewitz joined NFL Community’s Good Morning Soccer final week to debate the occasion and provides her ideas on the expansion of flag soccer — in addition to the Bucs’ position in it.
“It’s an awesome factor for flag,” Glazer Kassewitz stated. “It creates better visibility globally. Flag is among the fastest-growing sports activities within the nation. I feel over the previous 5 years, it’s grown about 63% for women flag and this creates so many extra alternatives for all youngsters who play flag, however particularly for women.”
That occasion was simply the kickoff of a giant week for women flag soccer and the Bucs, because the group hosted its sixth annual Women Flag Soccer Preseason Traditional over the weekend.
The most important women flag soccer match within the nation hosted over 100 groups from 18 counties all through the state of Florida on the Ed Radice Sports activities Complicated in North Tampa. The match included two native powerhouses — eight-time state champion Robinson and three-time state champion Alonso — and continues to be a marquee occasion for the game.
“The Buccaneers’ help has been phenomenal. It has helped legitimize the game, particularly within the Bay Space,” Robinson head coach Joshua Saunders advised Pewter Report. “It’s no surprise why Tampa is the premier space for flag soccer within the state.
“It’s not simply the preseason occasion, it’s the scholarship, the coach of the week, the activations round center colleges, and the numerous different issues that they’re doing to advertise the sport. Now with the FHSAA State Finals being on the Introduction Well being Coaching Middle, it takes it to the following stage. Coaches are so grateful for what they’ve completed for the game.”
Robinson and Alonso have lengthy been powers in Florida, however the development of the sport has meant the expansion of applications all all through the state — and elevated participation within the preseason match.
“There’s yr over yr development in participation,” Glazer Kassewitz stated. “That is only a sport that’s booming proper now. And final night time, we introduced at our opening night time that we’re gonna host the ladies flag state championships, so now the season will start and finish with the help of the Buccaneers. And we’re simply so pleased to be there to help all the ladies.”
“To see 1000’s of women enjoying, it’s phenomenal for each women and men who’re watching the game.”
📽️: @gmfb pic.twitter.com/tymyDUYU5c
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) February 14, 2024
The group hosted regional playoff video games in 2023, however serving because the host for the 2024 Women Flag Soccer State Championships on the AdventHealth Coaching Middle is the following step up. The 1A and 2A semifinal and championship title video games will happen over the course of Might 10-11.
The occasions the Bucs have hosted and can proceed to host aren’t the one side of their help, both. Earlier this month in celebration of Nationwide Women & Girls in Sports activities Day, they launched their fifth annual Girls in Football Scholarship, which is open to candidates all through the nation. Thus far, Glazer Kassewitz stated, the scholarship has impacted 16 ladies who play soccer and have an curiosity in a profession in sports activities.
And the work continues for the Bucs. The group will proceed to focus on the game on its social media channels, and Glazer Kassewitz stated they’re beginning a devoted Instagram account — @buccaneersflag — as a part of that effort.
The game will proceed to broaden (and it already is, with more states beginning to recognize it as a state championship sport), then it is going to take middle stage when the Summer season Olympics come to the U.S. in 2028. When that occurs, the Bucs can and may be ok with the help they’ve given to develop the sport.
There’s simply one thing about this sport 🏈 pic.twitter.com/g3zJJnMlBo
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers Basis (@BucsFoundation) February 17, 2024
