Under Armour’s local Under the Lights flag football team is preparing for another impactful season after hosting 2,000 young athletes in its inaugural season last year.
“It was amazing to see the community and the involvement of the community to come together,” league commissioner Jeremy King said.
This year’s season kicked off on September 20 at the SouthShore Sportsplex. With over 600 athletes participating in the fall season, King is excited for the season.
One part he is most proud of is the inclusion of a girls’ flag football league. Last year, over 200 third through eighth grade girls participated in the league’s inaugural season.
“When we set out to start this league, that was a big focus of ours,” he said.
Under the Lights partnered with several local high schools to bring in girls’ flag football players and coaches to mentor the athletes.
“It’s been a great experience to watch these high school girls mentor this next wave of athletes,” King said.
He said the partnership with the high school athletes and coaches has brought a love and passion for growing the game.
The national Under the Lights tournament will also be hosted at the SouthShore location for the first time at the end of December.
“We kind of caught the attention of Under the Lights and this flag football community and how we do things and the involvement that this community has given us so we can reach so many kids,” King said.
He said the biggest challenge has been getting all the players on the field. With the help of local business sponsors, King and his team have worked to help all athletes participate regardless of their financial situation.
A few weeks later, King will cross something off his bucket list: hosting the area’s first beach flag football tournament. Battle on the Beach will take place in Clearwater in January 2025 and host teams across the country.
Beyond having teams play flag football on the sand, the Battle on the Beach tournament will include entertainment, like a DJ and bounce houses.
“I think it’s going to be a great experience for the kids, and I’m thankful that I have the opportunity to bring that to our youth in the area and across the country,” King said.
