October 16, 2023. The day that marked a historic moment for Flag American football and its global community. The day the International Olympic Committee confirmed the sport’s arrival on the Olympic stage at the 2028 Los Angeles games.
For Phil Howle, this announcement generated long overdue recognition for his beloved sport.
He has seen the game’s meteoric rise up close as a player and through his involvement as chairman of the Lincolnshire Longhorns Flag American football team.
“It’s incredible how far the game has come,” he said. “When I started playing Flag in 2014, it was a niche sport that most people hadn’t heard of. But in the last few years its popularity has grown massively – we now have over 100 teams nationwide.”
According to the British American Football Association (BAFA), over 20 million athletes across more than 100 countries now compete in the game, making it one of the fastest growing sports worldwide.
In the UK, participation numbers have soared to over 2,000 players since the sport’s Olympic status was confirmed.
Lincolnshire is no exception to this growth.
Established in 2018 with just two members, the Lincolnshire Longhorns now boast 25 registered players after an influx of new talent in the last year.
Phil believes the announcement by the IOC has acted as a catalyst for this rise: “The Olympic announcement has definitely highlighted flag to an audience that had never previously considered it,” he said.
“We’ve had a variety of players joining our club: girls, teenagers, adults, you name it! It’s been brilliant to attract such a diverse pool of players and to watch them develop week in week out.
“We’ve become a really tight-knit group, all encouraging each other to improve and enjoy the experience.”
Although Flag Football is based on the same principles as American Football, it doesn’t retain the same ferocious physicality and brutal contact as the traditional form of the game. It is a high-octane, non-contact alternative where tackles are made by pulling off flags which all players wear on their hips.
Instead of 11 fully armoured players on the pitch for each side, five to seven take the field in just shorts, T-shirts and trainers.
Phil feels the minimal need for equipment has added to the sport’s inclusivity – which has, in turn, aided its growth as an accessible game with a strong community spirit.
“Unlike many mainstream sports, flag is played with mixed teams and the nature of the game means it’s open to anyone regardless of gender or ability.
The 36-year-old, who is in the RAF, added: “The number of positions in the game means there are different roles to suit a player’s specific strengths. For example, as a quarterback myself, there is more onus on strategic thinking and game awareness rather than explosiveness.”
The Longhorns have harnessed the excitement around flag football with Olympic-related advertising on social media to entice new members.
This online campaign has been so successful that they have decided to split into two teams for the upcoming season. There is now a separate competitive team for those looking to take the sport further, alongside the social team for those playing for fun.
With both teams competing in the same league, Longhorns general manager Jake Robinson is excited for the rivalry.
“There may be fireworks when the teams face each other, but we’ll still be friends – as long as my team wins,” he chuckles.
He added: “By splitting up the teams, we’re aiming to create a more professional set up where everyone gets equal opportunity to showcase their ability at a level that suits them.”
In pursuit of this ambition, the Longhorns have relocated to a specialist training pitch dedicated to flag football at Priory Pembroke Academy in Cherry Willingham. They are also hoping to attract sponsorship for the upcoming season to finance further growth, having previously been entirely self-funded.
Jake himself was attracted to the sport after playing American Football at university. “I started playing flag because I wanted a non-contact sport after uni. I turned up to a Longhorns training session, everyone was great, and I fell in love with the sport straight away,” he says.
Back with Phil, he believes financial security for local clubs is vital for attracting the next generation of flag footballers.
“As a youngster, it’s important to have stability at your local club,” he says. “This means you can develop your skills consistently in the long term”.
With a new season approaching and interest at an all-time high the sport seems to have found its footing across the pond.
Phil smiles: “As we get closer to the next Olympics, general awareness of flag will increase even further and that can only be a good thing for local clubs like ours.
“It’s a really exciting time to be involved in the sport and I can’t wait to see how it develops in the coming years!”
