Play back the film of quarterback Vanita Krouch connecting with receiver Madison Fulford four times for touchdowns to win the 2023 IFAF Americas Flag Football Championship and it’s hard to imagine the U.S. women’s team can get much better.

They’re the reigning world champions, The World Games silver medalists and will no doubt be among the front runners at this year’s IFAF Flag Football World Championships in Finland in August. But the Americans are always looking to fine tune the machine, so invited 60 athletes to compete for 18 training camp and ultimately 12 roster places at trials held in Charlotte this past weekend.

Izzy Geraci was among the newcomers to a group put through their paces on the same University of North Carolina at Charlotte fields that witnessed that continental triumph back in August. Following a successful college basketball career with the University of South Carolina Upstate Spartans and at Cleveland State, Izzy is returning to the sport she played as a youngster to chase an Olympic dream first imagined during her formative years.

“It’s surreal to think that when I was a little kid, being an Olympian was a dream of mine and I thought it would be so cool to wrap the USA across my chest, and now that opportunity is sitting right in front of me,” said Izzy during a break from the trials. “It’s like a full circle moment and I’m just glad to be a part of this. It’s definitely the goal to make this team and eventually be a part of that.”

While Izzy’s sports trajectory took her down the basketball pathway, flag football had been a fixture of her early years. It was that four-touchdown hero of the most recent U.S. triumph who reintroduced her to the opportunity to play again, and at the elite level.

“I actually started to flag when I was seven and then I got into tackle football locally, up in Ohio and Cleveland where I’m from,” explained Izzy. “I had to take a break because basketball got serious, so this was a great opportunity to jump back into flag.

“While I was in college I was hearing more and more about flag and I was trying to get involved and seeing if I could do it along with basketball, which unfortunately I couldn't. As soon as I got out, I reached out to one of the players, Madison Fulford, and she tied me into some local people around the Charlotte area, so I got with them and then started getting really focused about getting on the U.S. team. I heard about the digital combine and was lucky enough to get an invite to these trials also.”

The core competencies of flag football make the sport ideal for players with a basketball background and Izzy sees her abilities and prior football experience as a perfect combination.

“I’m bringing a pretty versatile set of skills,” she explains. “I can play wherever they want me to play. I think the basketball ability translates pretty directly with all the lateral movements and the hand-ball coordination. I started playing football at quarterback and then switched over to receiver. I didn’t really play much defense but I’m definitely getting into that now that I’m playing flag again.”

Regardless of the natural competitiveness that surfaces when seeking to claim one of a finite number of places on the U.S. roster, the camaraderie synonymous with the flag football community shines through in players’ mindsets.

“Personally, I like being friends with my teammates and opposing players, so I’ll just let my game do its thing and I’m here to have a good time and try to earn my spot,” added Izzy. “I’m cheering on everyone here. There’s a lot of elite players, which is why they’re here, and that’s what I’m trying to become a part of.”

Details of the IFAF Flag Football World Championships being played in Lahti, Finland, from August 27-30 can be found at: www.FlagWC24.com Photo: USA Football / Lester Barnes