USA FOOTBALL BRINGS INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL FLAG FOOTBALL EVENTS TO DIGNITY HEALTH SPORTS PARK IN LOS ANGELES

With the 2028 Summer Olympics on the horizon, USA Football brings Junior U.S. National Teams and The One Flag Championship event to Los Angeles in July 

LOS ANGELES – In July of 2024, USA Football, the sport’s governing body in the U.S. and a member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), will host a series of elite flag football competitions at Dignity Health Sports Park, home of the five-time MLS Cup winners LA Galaxy, from July 9 - 14.  

USA Football’s Week at the One includes several annual competitions presented by Under Armour to promote international flag football competition, develop and identify athletes as part of the U.S. National Team pathway and crown a champion at the club level. It all starts with Junior International Cup and Select Bowl practices from July 9-10 ahead of the games from July 11-12.  

“We are excited to have access to such a premier facility for the largest events we’re hosting this summer,” said USA Football Managing Director, High Performance and National Teams, Eric Mayes. “Flag football will debut as an Olympic sport in Los Angeles in 2028, so it’s only fitting that we host the third annual Junior International Cup and the first-ever USA Football Select Bowl in the City of Angels at Dignity Health Sports Park. It’s going to be a great atmosphere with athletes and fans from all over the globe coming to enjoy one of the world’s fastest-growing sports.” 

“This is an excellent opportunity to welcome USA Football to Los Angeles as they and their U.S. National Teams continue preparing for the 2028 Olympics,” said Dignity Health Sports Park General Manager, Katie Pandolfo. “Flag football’s popularity is quickly taking off in California and throughout the country. Our world-class facilities will contribute to a week of elite, exciting football when some of the nation’s top athletes take the field this July.” 

Presented by Under Armour, the Junior International Cup brings together 15U and 17U Boys’ and Girls’ National Teams from around the world to compete in flag football. Canada, Japan, Mexico and Panama will field teams to compete alongside the U.S. this summer. The U.S. National Teams swept the gold medal podiums in 2023 while Japan claimed the silver medals. 

Flag football’s popularity was skyrocketing even before it was announced as an Olympic sport. USA Football research shows the number of boys and girls ages 6-17 playing the sport increased 38.2% from 2014-23, reaching a peak of more than 1.6 million this past year. According to the NFL, flag football is played by 20 million people across more than 100 countries. That includes premier youth programs in Japan that placed second in all four divisions at the 2023 Junior International Cup in Charlotte. 

The Select Bowl is part of USA Football’s National Team Development Program, which will field Select Teams across several age divisions. Select Team athletes receive help from their specially trained coaching staff to hone their skills and raise their games as they compete for future opportunities to try out for the U.S. National Team. 

The National Team Development Program is USA Football’s most recent addition to the National Team Pathway, which provides opportunities for athletes to represent their country in elite play from youth through adulthood. The Select Teams allow athletes to play against elite competitors from across the country in an environment that mirrors the U.S. National Teams. 

Rounding out the week is The One Flag Championship, presented by Under Armour, from July 12-14. The One is USA Football’s annual championship that spans youth and adult levels across more than ten divisions. For the past several months, the nation’s best club teams have competed in USA Football Sanctioned Tournaments and Qualifier Tournaments to earn their invitations to The One.  

U.S. National Team coaches and scouts will be on-hand during The One to identify athletes for invitations to 2025 U.S. National Team Trials. The One is a U.S. National Team qualifying event, making all participating athletes eligible for invitations. 

All USA Football international events follow the International Federation of American Football’s (IFAF) five-on-five rules to promote and maintain a consistent style of play that mirrors Olympic-style flag football. USA Football’s Men’s and Women’s U.S. Flag National Teams will compete in the 2024 IFAF Flag Football World Championship in Lahti, Finland in August.  

USA Football is the organization responsible for selecting and organizing Men’s and Women’s U.S. National Teams in federation-sanctioned international competition, including the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. 

Much of flag football’s growth in the U.S. is being driven by girls and women. High school girls’ flag football is now sanctioned as a varsity sport in 11 states – including California – and many more have pilot programs. These athletes now have chances to earn college scholarships and compete for a championship in flag football at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) level.  

About USA Football: USA Football is the governing body of American football in the United States, the sole U.S. member of the International Federation of American Football, and a recognized sports organization of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. Its non-profit mission includes designing and delivering premier educational, development, and competitive programs for American football, including tackle and flag football. USA Football is the only organization that selects and organizes men’s and women’s U.S. National Teams in federation-sanctioned international competition. 

About Dignity Health Sports Park: Dignity Health Sports Park is Southern California’s home of world-class competition and training facilities for amateur, Olympic, collegiate and professional athletes. Managed by AEG, the $150 million, privately financed facility was developed by AEG on a 125-acre site on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) in Carson, Calif. Dignity Health Sports Park features an 8,000-seat tennis stadium, a 25,174-seat stadium for soccer, football and other athletic competitions and outdoor concerts; a 2,000-seat facility for track & field and a 2,450-seat indoor Velodrome – the VELO Sports Center – for track cycling. Dignity Health Sports Park is home to Major League Soccer’s LA Galaxy, the five-time MLS Cup Champions. Dignity Health Sports Park is also home of the United States Tennis Association’s (USTA) High Performance Training Center and the national team training headquarters for the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF). Additionally, Dignity Health Sports Park is home to Galaxy Park, a newly imagined complex on the campus of the facility that features five 5v5 soccer fields, three futsal courts, eight Pickleball courts, four Padel courts and is home to a number of other recreational activities. For additional information, please visit https://www.dignityhealthsportspark.com.