As a father of two boys, one in 2nd Grade and another in 4th Grade, my belief in the power of sport? It's more than a game. I've seen firsthand what athletics give kids beyond the scoreboard: discipline, belonging, and the ability to work through adversity. That's why the numbers concern me. Nearly 70% of young people quit organized sport by the age of 13, not because they stop loving the game, but because the experience stops feeling like it's for them. When kids walk away, we don't just lose athletes. We lose all the lessons that come with the game.

What I care most about is what sport builds on the inside. We talk a lot about confidence, and rightly so, but I'd argue that resilience is the greater gift. Confidence can waver. Resilience is what carries you when confidence doesn't exist. As the saying goes, "When you have worked through failures in the past, you fear them less in the future. You know you can bounce back." That's what I want every child on our field to discover, not that they're always going to win, but that they're always going to be okay.

So, why Flag? Because it keeps the door open. Flag football is accessible, inclusive, and built for every body and every background. It delivers all the life lessons of team sport without the barriers that drive kids away. And unlike most youth sports, flag doesn't have to end. Adult leagues, co-ed leagues, and a growing national movement mean the game you learn in elementary school can follow you for the rest of your life. That's the vision here. We're not just teaching kids to play football. We're giving them something to carry with them long after they leave the field.

Jake Drouin, Program Director