PASADENA– A fresh collaboration involving the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, NFL FLAG, the Los Angeles Chargers, the Los Angeles Rams, Toyota and RCX Sports looks to lower barriers to youth sports. By working together, these organizations will introduce hundreds of local children to flag football, which stands out as one of the fastest growing sports nationwide currently.
To celebrate the official launch of their first YMCA NFL FLAG season, the participating organizations are hosting a free community kickoff event at Pasadena City College Stadium.
Scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 23, from 10 a.m. to noon, the celebration will include a youth football clinic, interactive games, giveaways, food, and various family activities. Additionally, attendees can enter a raffle to win one of 250 pairs of tickets to the upcoming Rams vs. Chargers preseason game at SoFi Stadium.
For Stacy Lewis, YMCA executive director of youth sports, the partnership represents much more than football.
“We are always looking for partners in the YMCA to help further our youth sports programming,” Lewis said. “When we find willing partners, we try to leverage the relationship to provide sports programs for the kids.”
The collaboration builds on previous YMCA partnerships with organizations such as the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and the NBA’s Junior Clippers program. This time, the focus is on flag football, a sport Lewis said has experienced tremendous growth nationwide.
“As you may be aware, flag football is growing exponentially across the country,” Lewis said. “It’s become a tremendous sport for young ladies and females, and that’s fantastic because it’s bringing opportunities to more athletes.”
Lewis noted that Pasadena City College recently launched its own women’s flag football program, making the campus a fitting location for the kickoff event. The college also views the partnership as an opportunity to introduce young athletes to higher education while supporting the sport’s continued expansion.
One of the partnership’s biggest goals is ensuring that cost is not a barrier for families.
Participation in the inaugural YMCA NFL FLAG season will be free for YMCA members, matching the structure of the organization’s other youth leagues, thanks to sponsorship backing from the Chargers, Rams, Toyota and RCX Sports.
“Hugely important because it eliminates the barrier to entry,” Lewis said. “We serve kids that may not have the opportunity financially to participate. The NFL, the Rams and the Chargers wanted to make sure this was accessible and free.”
According to Lewis, the program is being introduced at a crucial moment when many young kids are reducing the time they spend on physical activities.
“We’re seeing the dominance of sedentary activities like video games and internet pursuits,” he said. “Sports teach life skills. They teach teamwork, leadership, coordination, discipline and socialization. Those are things some of those other pursuits don’t necessarily provide.”
Beyond teaching football fundamentals, YMCA coaches focus on developing confidence and teamwork in children of all skill levels.
“The YMCA sports leagues are developmental,” Lewis said. “This isn’t just catering to high-skilled kids. We actually teach the concepts. We show them how to throw the ball, run patterns and understand the game. Overall, it’s about having fun.”
According to Lewis, the kickoff event on Aug. 23 will feature an array of family activities, including refreshments, giveaways, inflatable games and mascot appearances. Attendees can also expect representatives from both NFL franchises to make appearances, with the potential for player visits depending on training camp availability. Furthermore, Lewis noted that almost every child in attendance will stand a chance to win tickets to the upcoming Rams-Chargers preseason matchup.
The upcoming kickoff event is open to both YMCA members and nonmembers, and it has already drawn considerable attention. Roughly 700 children have already signed up, and registration will continue until the event hits its maximum capacity of 800 participants.
Looking ahead, Lewis said organizers envision the NFL FLAG partnership becoming a long-term initiative that continues to grow throughout Los Angeles County.
We’re looking at this as being a permanent partnership, or at least a long-term partnership,” he said. “We hope to grow it for both boys and girls and create a pipeline where kids begin in the YMCA, continue through high school and eventually into college flag football.”
Ultimately, Lewis hopes the partnership demonstrates what can happen when nonprofit organizations, professional sports franchises and educational institutions work together.
“When you have leadership, vision and everyone coming together, good things happen for the community,” Lewis said. “The one thing we’re all here to do is help kids.”
