Let's Discuss
Planting Their Flags
What's going on: Inspired by her older cousins, Lexie Hoobler took up tackle football in sixth grade. This fall, the Illinois high school sophomore made her mark with flags, not pads, and helped score 12 touchdowns in her first week. She's hardly alone. More than 102,000 girls played high school flag football last year, up nearly 49%. The catch? Opportunities to compete in college haven't kept pace. Most new varsity programs have emerged at lesser-known schools. But momentum is building. At UCLA, one student built a club team from scratch, and Nebraska plans to launch its first women's team next year. Last week, a league run by the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and backed by the New York Jets announced plans to expand from 15 to 29 schools in 2027. At least another dozen colleges have expressed interest. Higher education may be late to the party, but the guest list is growing.
What it means: Flag football players could soon have more than one piece of hardware to chase. The sport will make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, and a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) title may soon be on the table, too. Earlier this year, the NCAA recognized women's flag football as an emerging sports program and later approved funds for a potential national championship. All three divisions are expected to vote in January on whether to make it official. If approved, the first playoffs could take place in spring 2028. By the time Hoobler is set to graduate in 2029, she and thousands of girls like her could have more college teams to play for, scholarships to pursue, a national title up for grabs — and maybe, someday, Olympic gold.
Related: Diana Flores Went From Ballet to Flag Football Stardom. The Olympics Are Next. (People)
Timeout...
Why could some of Team USA's biggest female soccer stars miss out on future Olympics?
Our Well Played co-hosts and friends of the show tackle listener Qs.
Last week, reports surfaced that FIFA wants to explore an under-23 option for women's Olympic soccer. The rule already exists for the men's side — only three players above the age cutoff per team are allowed. Soccer’s governing body reportedly cites crowded schedules and player workloads as reasons for the change. To put it in perspective, only five of the 18 players on Team USA's gold-medal roster in Paris would have met that requirement. If the change goes into effect, stars like Trinity Rodman, Sophia Wilson, and Mallory Swanson may eventually have to compete for those coveted overage spots. Fortunately, eligibility requirements for LA28 are already set, so any possible restrictions wouldn't take effect until the 2032 Brisbane Games at the earliest. Even though no formal proposal or decision date exists yet, the future of Olympic women's soccer could soon look very different.
Related: FIFA Wants To Ease Players' Schedules. So Why Is a New Women's Club World Cup Set for 2028? (BBC Sport)
One of the world's best goalkeepers has an Olympic medal, a trophy case worth bragging about, and an apple cake recipe that’s the envy of her teammates. The Gotham FC star credits her mom with a piece of money advice that's stuck with her throughout her career.
No Notes
Let's Discuss
Planting Their Flags
What's going on: Inspired by her older cousins, Lexie Hoobler took up tackle football in sixth grade. This fall, the Illinois high school sophomore made her mark with flags, not pads, and helped score 12 touchdowns in her first week. She's hardly alone. More than 102,000 girls played high school flag football last year, up nearly 49%. The catch? Opportunities to compete in college haven't kept pace. Most new varsity programs have emerged at lesser-known schools. But momentum is building. At UCLA, one student built a club team from scratch, and Nebraska plans to launch its first women's team next year. Last week, a league run by the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and backed by the New York Jets announced plans to expand from 15 to 29 schools in 2027. At least another dozen colleges have expressed interest. Higher education may be late to the party, but the guest list is growing.
What it means: Flag football players could soon have more than one piece of hardware to chase. The sport will make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, and a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) title may soon be on the table, too. Earlier this year, the NCAA recognized women's flag football as an emerging sports program and later approved funds for a potential national championship. All three divisions are expected to vote in January on whether to make it official. If approved, the first playoffs could take place in spring 2028. By the time Hoobler is set to graduate in 2029, she and thousands of girls like her could have more college teams to play for, scholarships to pursue, a national title up for grabs — and maybe, someday, Olympic gold.
Related: Diana Flores Went From Ballet to Flag Football Stardom. The Olympics Are Next. (People)
Timeout...
Why could some of Team USA's biggest female soccer stars miss out on future Olympics?
Our Well Played co-hosts and friends of the show tackle listener Qs.
Last week, reports surfaced that FIFA wants to explore an under-23 option for women's Olympic soccer. The rule already exists for the men's side — only three players above the age cutoff per team are allowed. Soccer’s governing body reportedly cites crowded schedules and player workloads as reasons for the change. To put it in perspective, only five of the 18 players on Team USA's gold-medal roster in Paris would have met that requirement. If the change goes into effect, stars like Trinity Rodman, Sophia Wilson, and Mallory Swanson may eventually have to compete for those coveted overage spots. Fortunately, eligibility requirements for LA28 are already set, so any possible restrictions wouldn't take effect until the 2032 Brisbane Games at the earliest. Even though no formal proposal or decision date exists yet, the future of Olympic women's soccer could soon look very different.
Related: FIFA Wants To Ease Players' Schedules. So Why Is a New Women's Club World Cup Set for 2028? (BBC Sport)
One of the world's best goalkeepers has an Olympic medal, a trophy case worth bragging about, and an apple cake recipe that’s the envy of her teammates. The Gotham FC star credits her mom with a piece of money advice that's stuck with her throughout her career.
No Notes
Live Smarter
Sign up for the Daily Skimm email newsletter. Delivered to your inbox every morning and prepares you for your day in minutes.