With the NFL Flag Championships taking place July 23-26 in Westfield, Ind., the NFL on Monday rolled out a new campaign titled “Be the Story,” featuring some of flag football’s biggest stars. Flag football is one of the world’s fastest-growing youth sports.

The spot features several of the sport's rising stars and standouts, including popular Twitch streamer and content creator RaKai; four-time U.S. national team member, NFL-IFAF Global Flag Ambassador and 2026 NAIA player of the year Ashlea Klam; Australia women’s national team member Liz Lomu Stewart; Germany national team member Arved Mohr, Mexico junior national team member Azul Trujillo; Arizona player of the year Samaya Taylor Jenkins; and 2024 NFL Flag player of the year Ryder Noche. 

"’Be The Story’ celebrates a generation of players around the world who are dynamic, diverse and fearless, and it reminds every young athlete watching that the game has a place for them to shine," said Sarah Bishop, NFL vice president, global brand and consumer marketing, in a statement. “From [the] NFL Flag Championships this summer to the sport’s Olympic debut in 2028, flag football has incredible momentum right now, and we’re more excited than ever to keep building pathways for more kids to play, compete and lead at every level of the game.”

The U.S. alone has more than 4.1 million youth flag football athletes – a more than 50% increase since 2020. Flag football is offered at a high-school level in 40 states and jurisdictions. More than 250 colleges and universities across the country offer women’s flag football, while the NCAA is working toward establishing flag football as a national championship sport. Globally, the sport is played by more than 20 million people across 100 countries. It is set to make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

“This sport has grown so much in the past few years,” said Klam, also in a statement. “There are more opportunities, especially for women. That is what we’ve been fighting for for so long, and it’s been amazing to see all the growth that this sport has brought.”

“Whether you’re on the field, creating content or chasing something you’re passionate about, it’s all about having the confidence to be yourself and put your story out there,” added RaKai.

The NFL is partnering with TMRW Sports to develop and operate a professional flag football league for women and men. The new league has support from an investor pool spanning the sports, entertainment and business worlds that is expected to launch prior to the sport’s Olympic debut.

The third annual NFL Flag Championships presented by Toyota – the world’s largest youth flag football tournament – takes place July 23-26 at Droplight Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, Indiana. This year’s event marks the biggest iteration yet, with more than 350 teams of girls and boys from around the world set to compete.

ESPN will provide live coverage of the tournament. Starting Friday, July 24, through the championship games on Sunday, July 26, games will be available on ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes, NFL+ and the ESPN app, with select games also available on Disney+, Disney Channel, Disney XD, and YouTube. Games will also be available in select international markets.

The sport’s momentum continues at International Federation of American Football  (IFAF) World Flag 26, taking place August 13-16 in Düsseldorf, Germany, where the world’s top men’s and women’s national teams will compete in the premier international flag football tournament. IFAF World Flag 26 is the first direct Olympic qualifying event for the Los Angeles 2028 Games.