FFF Club Spotlight: KC Shockers - Kansas City, MO

Flag Football Finder's Club Spotlight series sits down with the coaches and organizers building youth flag football programs across the country. This week, we caught up with Kayson Matthews, the founder of KC Shockers and Senior Sports Director at the Kansas City YMCA.

A Basketball Coach, a Pandemic, and a Second-Place Finish at Nationals

Kayson Matthews didn't come up through football. He was a cross country and track runner at Wichita State and spent 12 years coaching basketball and overseeing youth sports programs across the Kansas City YMCA. Football just wasn't his thing.

Then COVID hit, and the YMCA stripped everything down to a single sport: flag football.

Matthews took the same kids he'd been coaching in basketball and brought them to the field. Most of them had tackle backgrounds. He didn't. They made it work anyway.

"All those kids already played tackle, so they had a lot of background, the stuff that I wasn't really familiar with at the time. So we just kind of took what we had and made it work."

That first group entered the NFL Flag regionals and finished second at the national championship. Year one. Second in the country.

"I guess it was pretty easy to fall in love with it when you had success the first time."

From there, it snowballed. The original team needed to split as kids aged up. Siblings wanted in. Parents who'd been coaching alongside Matthews stepped up to run new squads. And the club name? That came from the kids themselves - they'd watched Matthews wear Wichita State gear for years and just said they wanted to be the Shockers.

Building the Girls Side from a State Championship Sideline

The KC Shockers boys program grew organically, but the girls side started with a specific moment. Matthews was refereeing a Missouri state championship game when he spotted two players who stood out.

"These two girls on this team were amazing. They already had the hip and dip move, they could all catch the ball, and I was like, 'Man, I think I could really work with these girls and take them to the next level.'"

He walked up, asked to meet their parents, and pitched the idea. The response was immediate.

"They're like, 'Oh my god, yes, please take them away from soccer. I'm tired of sitting at the soccer fields all day.'"

He pulled together 10 girls from Staley High School in Missouri, took them to a regional, and won it. They went to nationals and had a great time. Word spread, and the program exploded. KC Shockers now runs four high school girls teams, plus 7U, 8U, and 10U girls squads - with 40 to 50 girls in the youngest divisions alone.

The only gap right now is 12U and 14U girls, where they just don't have enough athletes yet. Matthews handles it by letting younger players practice up with the high school group to stay in the system until their age division fills out.

If you're a family in the Kansas City area looking for girls flag football teams, KC Shockers is one of the most complete programs in the region.

Low Cost, High Competition

One thing that sets KC Shockers apart from other clubs in the area is how little it costs families to participate. Matthews charges jersey fees and splits tournament costs between players. No coaching fees. No hidden costs.

"If you talk to any of our parents, they're like, 'Man, we're really not paying for a whole lot compared to what we get to do.'"

The club also has a sponsorship with Battle that covers uniforms, gloves, and mouthpieces - another way Matthews keeps costs down for parents.

That affordability is intentional. The whole point of the club is to give Kansas City kids a shot at attending the NFL Flag Championships - an event Matthews calls "the greatest event on earth, flag football-wise."

"The NFL does a great job rolling out the red carpet and making these kids feel special. The first time we went, that was what made us fall in love with it. We're like, 'Hey, we want any kid from Kansas City that wants to do this to get that experience.'"

The club is also selective about where they travel. Matthews won't take his teams to a tournament that isn't worth the parents' time and money.

"A lot of clubs are traveling to tournaments that are not worth traveling to. It's not worth traveling six hours to play a team you're going to run-roll before halftime."

Practice Philosophy: Pull Flags First, Everything Else Second

Matthews keeps his coaching philosophy straightforward. A full quarter of every practice - boys and girls - is dedicated to flag pulling.

"That's 90% of the game. If you can pull flags, you can compete with anyone."

On the girls side, the focus shifts toward college-level skills: hip and dip moves, flexibility, and situational reps like two-minute drills. But Matthews tailors his approach to what each athlete wants out of the sport.

"Some players, hey, this is my second-tier sport, but I love this, so I want to keep playing. What we do with them may be a little bit different than someone where this is their passion and their drive."

For high school athletes interested in playing at the next level, FFF's athlete directory is a free tool to build a profile and connect with college flag football programs.

The Oakley Alliance League Gets the Biggest Shout-Out

When asked about the best events outside of NFL Flag Championships, Matthews didn't hesitate.

"Oakley is the best girls flag football tournament on the planet. There's no one doing what they're doing."

He broke down why: longer games with two 16-and-a-half-minute halves, a pro clock in the final minute, three timeouts per half, and no gate fees. The competition is locked in - you have to place top two in your league just to make regionals, and every league features the eight best teams in your area.

"You know there's not going to be a cakewalk game. Everything's going to be competitive and they're long. So you're getting your money's worth."

Advice for Anyone Starting a Club

Matthews has seen plenty of organizations come and go. His advice for anyone thinking about launching a youth flag football program is blunt: be all in or don't do it.

"If you're going to create something, you don't want kids to sign up for something you're just really not prepared for. You got to do your homework. This is something you really want to get into, because the worst thing you can do is have a kid spend a year in your program and then you just say it's not for me."

He also flagged the operational side that catches people off guard - permits, insurance, tax-exempt paperwork, and parent management.

"It's a lot more work than you think. And you got to also remember you're dealing with not only the players, but you got to deal with the parents."

When adding players to the club's top teams, Matthews evaluates the full picture: playing ability, coachability, and whether the family fits the culture.

"You can't let one bad egg into the carton because it could ruin the whole deal for everybody."

For families exploring options in Kansas City and beyond, browse youth flag football teams near you or check out upcoming flag football camps and clinics.

Find KC Shockers on Flag Football Finder

Check out KC Shockers on Flag Football Finder to view their teams, age groups, and connect with the program directly.

Follow KC Shockers on Instagram: @kc.shockers

The FFF Club Spotlight series features conversations with the coaches and organizers building youth flag football programs across the country. Want your club featured? Reach out to us on Instagram.

‍