Flag Football national teams around the world have integrated athletes who have been playing at club and representative level for many years with converts from other sports to form competitive squads.

While some have come from track and field, tackle football and basketball, others have established themselves in more unlikely sports such as bobsled, fencing and boxing. The Republic of Korea women’s team that will participate at the IFAF Asia Oceania Flag Football Championships includes Hyebin Park, who has played Ultimate Frisbee in her country for more than six years at the national league level.

Having been selected as a member of Korea’s first-ever women’s national team to compete internationally at the 2023 Asia Oceania Ultimate Championship, Hyebin had become a fan of American football, thanks to husband’s interest and watched NFL broadcasts. She was introduced to flag football last year and was immediately attracted to the sport.

“I really enjoyed the process of throwing and catching the ball and, like Frisbee, felt comfortable with flag football because it is a sport that avoids physical contact,” she explains. “I found out that the Korean Flag Football Association was organising a women’s national team, so to learn more about flag football and to improve my personal physical skills, I joined the program.”

The beginners were all taught the fundamentals of the game and were assigned positions based on their individual skill sets. Hyebin was selected for the AOFCC Korean Women’s national team, another first on her sporting resume.

“I have never been taught a sport so systematically in my life,” she says. “Later, I trained more for tryouts for the flag football team than the frisbee team. I threw and caught more footballs than discs.”

Hyebin prepared in the Philippines in September and for the national team tryouts while playing both ultimate frisbee and flag football.

“It was really challenging to prepare for these two sports together,” she admits. “As a non-professional athlete, I was working a full-time job during the week, and trying to juggle two varsity sports on weekends after work was a real challenge. Without the unwavering support and encouragement of my husband at home, the encouragement of the coaches and a captain who was the backbone of the team, I might have given up. One of the reasons why I didn’t give up is because flag football is such a lot of fun.”

Korea will face Australia, Indonesia, Thailand and Asia’s representatives at the 2022 World Games Japan in the continental championship in Malaysia in what is certain to be a competitive Group A. While winning a gold medal is the team’s ultimate goal, their participation alone will create an opportunity to promote flag football to women in Korea.

“I think it will encourage many people to try it by setting an example that everyone can enjoy and play flag football,” Hyebin explains. “We will all do our best to win in Malaysia, so that our efforts will not be in vain.”

Having successfully developed from eager beginner with potential to being a member of the Korean team heading to Malaysia, Hyebin has plenty to say about her newfound love for flag football.

“The short time per play requires quick tactics and you can use your individual skills to outrun or outmaneuver defenders,” she says. “Time management is also very important from a strategic point of view.

“Flag football brings the same sense of fun and excitement to every game. On the field, our team comes together as one to execute plays and work together to win the game against the opposing team. These moments show us how we can grow and develop in sport, break through the opposition's defense and score as a united force.”