NFL's "Be The Story" Campaign Puts Youth Flag Stars in the Spotlight
NFL's new 'Be The Story' campaign spotlights 6 rising flag football stars from 4 countries ahead of the 2026 Championships.
Somewhere this weekend, a kid ran a slant route in a park league game — and had no idea the NFL just told the world that kid's story matters just as much as an NFL Flag Player of the Year's. That's the idea behind the league's newest campaign, and it lands right as the countdown to this summer's biggest youth flag football event hits three weeks.
The News: NFL Launches "Be The Story"
The NFL has debuted "Be The Story," a new global flag football campaign built in partnership with Dentsu Creative UK and directed by Grammy Award-winning filmmaker Hannan Hussain. Rather than focus on the pros, the campaign puts young flag athletes front and center — six rising players from four countries, each representing a different rung of the sport's ladder:
▸ Ashlea Klam — four-time U.S. National Team member, NFL-IFAF Global Flag Ambassador, and 2026 NAIA Player of the Year
▸ Ryder Noche — 2024 NFL Flag Player of the Year
▸ Samaya Taylor Jenkins — Arizona Player of the Year
▸ Azul Trujillo — Mexico Jr. National Team
▸ Liz Lomu Stewart — Australia Women's National Team
▸ Arved Mohr — European champion with Germany's U15 National Team
The timing is no accident. The campaign is dropping right ahead of the 2026 NFL FLAG Championships presented by Toyota, running July 23–26 at Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, Indiana. This year's event is the biggest yet: more than 350 U.S. boys' and girls' teams plus 12 international squads from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Puerto Rico, and Spain. Games broadcast across ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes, and Disney platforms — and admission is free with NFL OnePass registration.
Why It Matters for Local Leagues
"Be The Story" isn't just a marketing tagline — it's a message aimed directly at every kid in a Saturday morning league: the players featured here started exactly where your athletes are starting now. That's a powerful thing for organizers to put in front of families during registration season. It reframes a rec-league flag game as the first rep in a pathway that has led real kids to national teams, player-of-the-year honors, and now, global campaign spotlights.
It's also further proof that flag football's growth is no longer a domestic story. With 12 countries sending teams to Westfield and the sport's 2028 Olympic debut in Los Angeles approaching, the young athletes lacing up flag belts today are part of a genuinely international movement — one your local league is already plugged into.
Your Move
Talk to your players about "Be The Story" this week — ask them what their story is. Families curious about the pathway can find a league near them to get started, or browse the full league directory. Coaches and organizers chasing a bid to Westfield should check the tournament listings for a qualifying event nearby. And for more news shaping the sport this season, check out the rest of the Flag Football Finder blog.
Sources: Campaign US | Colts.com | NFL FLAG