LOCAL YOUTH FOOTBALL TEAMS ADVANCE TO NFL FLAG NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS AT PRO BOWL IN ORLANDO

INDIANAPOLIS – Three local teams from Arizona and one team from Hawaii advanced to January’s NFL FLAG powered by USA Football National Championships at Pro Bowl. Each advancing team finished in first-place within its age bracket on Saturday, Dec. 15, at the NFL FLAG Regional tournament outside of Phoenix.

Conducted by USA Football in partnership with the Arizona Cardinals, 60 flag teams spanning five states competed in the round-robin, single-day regional tournament on Saturday, Dec. 15. Top teams from all 12 NFL FLAG Regionals this fall (9-10 coed; 11-12 coed; 13-14 boys; 13-14 girls) earn a spot at the NFL FLAG National Championships at Pro Bowl from Jan. 23-27 in Orlando, Fla.

The three teams from the Arizona NFL FLAG Regional advancing to the National Championships:

AGE DIVISION                                                             TEAM                                            HOMETOWN

9-10 Coed                                             Play Sports Hawaii Chargers                     Ewa Beach, Hawaii

11-12 Coed                                                     AZ Elite Cardinals                                   Chandler, Ariz.

13-14 Boys                                                          Tucson Turf                                          Tucson, Ariz.

13-14 Girls                                                          Tucson Turf                                          Tucson, Ariz.

NFL FLAG powered by USA Football promotes physical fitness and teaches the sport’s values and life skills on and off the field to nearly 400,000 young people. A non-contact version of traditional football offered for boys and girls age 5-17 in cities across the country, the program emphasizes fun, safety, teamwork, self-esteem, discipline and goal-setting.

In addition to the Cardinals, NFL FLAG powered by USA Football Regional Tournaments in 2018 are hosted by the following NFL teams: the Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

USA Football, a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee, is the sport’s national governing body. To benefit young athletes, USA Football offers coaching education and best practices that have earned the support of football-based and sports medicine organizations comprised of more than 50,000 members across 90 countries.

For more information on NFL FLAG powered by USA Football, visit www.NFLFLAG.com.

About USA Football:  USA Football designs and delivers premier educational, developmental and competitive programs to advance and grow the sport. As the sport’s national governing body, member of the U.S. Olympic Committee and organizer of the U.S. National Team for international competition, USA Football partners with leaders in medicine, child advocacy and athletics to support positive football experiences for youth, high school and other amateur players.