For the Future of Girls’ Flag Football

Growing up just a few blocks north of Memorial Stadium, Husker football was a huge part of our neighborhood. 

Whenever Nebraska scored and the wind was just right, red balloons drifted over my childhood home—an airborne scoreboard announcing magic down the street.

My brothers and I would sprint outside, turning the front lawn into Memorial Stadium and replaying every highlight we’d just witnessed.

Football wasn’t a pastime; it was woven into our yard, our family and our community. 

So earning a walk‑on spot at Nebraska felt like the natural next chapter of a dream we’d been living since backyard kickoffs.

Dreams, though, have room to grow.

Today my spotlight isn’t under towering stadium lights but on a patch of turf where I am able to coach girls’ flag football. 

Inspired by my daughter, Lily, I’ve found a new purpose—helping young girls capture the same joy, life lessons and sense of community that football first gave me.

It’s the most rewarding stat I’ve ever put on the board.

From Walk-On to Girl Dad Coach

Walking on at Nebraska wasn’t easy, but nothing worth doing is.

I started on special teams, doing the gritty, behind‑the‑scenes work that rarely shows up in the stat line.

Eventually, through hard work on and off the field, I was able to earn a high GPA, a scholarship and the honor of becoming Nebraska’s first‑ever athlete crowned Homecoming King.

Those years, along with my parents, taught me the value of a strong work ethic, humility and showing up every day, regardless of whether my name gets called or not.

After college, I wore many hats—first as a teacher, then a coach, then a firefighter and then an assistant with the Nebraska Football program—but none quite filled the space football once did.

Then Lily came along.

I knew I wanted to be present for whatever sparked her passion—maybe track, like her mother, or choir, or dance or something else entirely.  

And when her mom, Mandy Brandt, a former UNL track athlete and Co-ed Intramural Flag Football National Champion, mentioned signing her up for a third‑grade girls’ flag team with Millard United Sports, something clicked—not just in her but in me. 

I volunteered to coach, and that single decision reignited one of the things I love most about the game: building a family out of teammates. 

Our team isn’t solely about football; it’s about the journey and opportunity. With Lily as the athlete, Mandy as the assistant coach and defensive coordinator, and me as the head coach and offensive coordinator, we set out to build a new foundation in girls' flag football.

We host pool parties, bonding events and off-field hangouts, knowing that trust and relationships matter just as much as playbooks and drills.

Lily is my only daughter, and coaching keeps me right beside her journey. 

Every practice I watch her grow, not just quicker and stronger, but more confident, more vocal, more her.

That’s the real win.

Here’s how I frame it for the girls: Flag football is the best game of tag you’ll ever play. You’re sprinting, laughing and learning to talk on the fly. It keeps you active, sharpens communication and turns a roster into a true team.

Growing the Game in Nebraska

Last year, Husker head coach  Matt Rhule hosted the state’s first all‑girls clinic—“She’s Got Game”—and Lily was front and center with her teammates.

Watching a Big Ten program roll out the red carpet for girls' flag football felt like a promise: This sport belongs to them, too.

And the momentum only continues to grow.

Fifteen NAIA colleges now field women’s flag teams—Midland University in Fremont among them—and our girls soak up every snap, even grabbing sideline mentorship from the women's college players. 

We’ve built a travel select squad that hits tournaments in Kansas City and beyond, and the mayor of Lincoln recently proclaimed April 27 “All Girls Flag Football Day.”

From Lily’s first third‑grade huddle to today’s middle‑school showdowns, the skill level keeps climbing—and so does the buzz in the bleachers. 

More than yards or wins, what’s expanding is their sense of what’s possible: stronger voices, tighter friendships, and the confidence to call their own plays both on the field and off.

𝗦𝗵𝗲’𝘀 𝗚𝗼𝘁 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲 🏈

Our second annual flag football camp for 3rd-12th Grade girls will take place next month! Registration info below ⬇️

📅 6.10
🏟️ Memorial Stadium
🔗 https://t.co/jQUraEOzfP #GBR x #WhatsNExt! pic.twitter.com/K0v8PuGpaI

— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) May 7, 2025

The Future We're Fighting For

My dream is for Nebraska to sanction girls' flag football as an official varsity sport.

At this time, 15 states have already done so, and another 18 are running pilot programs to test demand and structure. Out of 50 states, that’s 33 moving in the right direction.

Unfortunately, Nebraska isn’t on that list yet. But we’re working to change that.

Currently, the sport is supported between two leading organizations: NFL Flag and USA Football.

With the Olympics set to feature flag football in 2028, I’m hopeful these groups can unite their passion and support to create a streamlined path for young athletes nationwide.

Others are helping lead this charge, too—like Troy Streeter, who’s done incredible work growing the game here in Omaha with Millard United.

But this movement is bigger than any one coach or program. 

It’s about showing families that their daughters could be scholarship athletes. That one day, they could represent their country in the Olympics.

And maybe even more importantly, that football isn’t just for the boys anymore.

I’ve seen national commercials, and I’ve seen the interest. Now, we just need the structure, visibility and commitment. 

Girls' flag football deserves a face—an icon, a leader—to help promote the sport and inspire the next generation.

Because at the end of the day, it’s not just about football. 

It’s about opportunity.

If you know someone, a group, or a company that wants to support women’s sports, it’s essential to step up and help. Do you have a daughter, a niece, or know a young girl who might be interested in playing? Please sign them up or reach out! 

As for me, I’ll keep showing up, advocating, and coaching until every girl in Nebraska has the chance to chase the same dream I did—balloons in the sky, hope in her heart, and teammates by her side.