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Flag football teams play in national competition
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Neighbors | Submitted.A year of hard work and athleticism brought the 9-11 year old boys and 12-14 girls Youngstown Flag Football teams to Florida for a national tournament this January. Enjoying warm weather and sandy beaches were part of their reward. Enjoying the Florida weather were athletes, from left, Mike Masucci, Parker Flower, Zane Cylar, Ben Shapiro, Rylee Meals, Rylee Leider, Macy Diaz, Alyssa Acevedo, Sarah Moretti, Raegan Meals, and Emily Moretti.
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Neighbors | Submitted.Youngstown Flag Football's 9-11 year old boys team showed their game faces at the Flag Football National Tournament in January. The team members are, from left, Parker Flower (back), Bryson Pegram, Zion Gilmore, Ben Shapiro, Ray Minitti, Julian Diaz (front), Zane Cylar, Mikey Diaz, and Michael Masucci.
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Neighbors | Submitted.Youngstown Flag Football's 12-14 year old girls team were ready to get started at the Flag Football National tournament in Florida on Jan. 14. The athletes are, from left, Emily Moretti, Raegan Meals, Rylee Leider, Sarah Moretti, Alyssa Acevedo, Baylie Mook, Rylee Meals, and Macy Diaz.
By SARAH FOOR
Two teams from the Youngstown Youth Flag Football Association made the Valley proud this January, as they played fiercely in the NFL Flag Football Tournament of Champions in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
The 9-11 boys team and 12-14 girls team kept the momentum of a strong season when they came out on top in a regional competition in Cincinnati. This qualified each team for one of the eight spots in their age division for the NFL tournament on Jan. 14, which included an all-expense paid trip to Florida.
The teams included members from Austintown, Boardman, Canfield and Poland.
In flag football, players run, catch and pass similarly to tackle football, but also aim to “de-flag” opponents, which requires agility and hand-eye coordination.
Flag football coach Elliott Giles said the success of his boys and girls teams was due to great team camaraderie and a lot of hard work.
“Most of the kids on our teams play other sports together, go to the same schools and are friends off the field. As a coach, I can’t ask for anything more when I want to build team chemistry and a winning atmosphere. It also helps that our athletes offered so much hard work and dedication for each and every game,” Giles said.
The boys and girls gave it their all in Florida, but didn’t advance to any final rounds in the competition. However, the players left the experience with great life lessons.
“This year, I learned that you won’t win every game, but leaving it with pride is important,” Poland player Julian Diaz said.
“If we win or we lose, no matter what, we’ll always be a team,” added fellow Poland teammate Michael Masucci.
The 12-14 girls team won three games in Florida before facing defeat, but Boardman player Baylie Mook echoed that the adventure was more than what happened on the field.
“In the other sports I play, I use the agility, footwork and speed I learned in flag all the time. I know that’s true for all of us,” Mook said.
“They set a great example for female athletes and for the strength of athletics in this area,” added Baylie’s dad, Don Mook.
Both teams will be featured on an ESPN segment on the competition to be shown in April. The footage will include head shots of YYFFA players, listing their name, position and hometown.
“Our athletes played hard and deserved to be there. I’m proud of what they did and how they represented Youngstown,” said Giles.
The league’s new season will begin in April. For more information, go to yffayouth.net.