The United States men’s and women’s national teams might have won a combined eight IFAF Flag Football World Championships since 2014 but there remains room for change and anticipated improvement heading into a busy summer of tournament activity.
Both squads will defend their respective continental crowns this year, while the US women also look to add the one title missing from their resume of success, a gold medal from The World Games. The Americans were beaten 39-6 by Mexico back in 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama.
Changes to the group of athletes who have set the gold standard are again subtle. The result of national team tryouts held in North Carolina in March have produced 18-player rosters, which will be cut to 12 names before tournament time. There are two changes to the women’s roster that triumphed in Finland at the worlds last summer and only one among the men’s group.
After four years with the men’s team, Bruce Mapp swapped the football field for the sidelines to help assess USA Football with its development program. A two-time world champion and gold medal winner at The World Games, Mapp never finished on the losing side when representing his nation. The next phase of his career included being part of the scouting and talent evaluation group at the latest tryouts.
From among the 60 athletes who attended the men’s tryouts, two quarterbacks have been added to the 18-player squad alongside incumbent, the irrepressible Darrell ‘Housh’ Doucette, who like Mapp is a double gold medal winner and remains unbeaten under center.
Nico Casares is a dual threat quarterback who hails from Miami and played Division III college football at the Catholic University of America Athletes in Washington DC., and Antonio Coleman is a quarterback / rusher from Prince George’s County, Maryland.
“USA Football’s process for establishing an athlete pathway, identifying talent and selecting the U.S. National Teams continues to raise the standard for our program,” said Eric Mayes, USA Football's Managing Director of High Performance and National Teams. “The level of competition at trials has never been higher. USA Football is very proud to welcome both new and returning athletes into the U.S. National Team family as we prepare to uphold our gold medal standard this summer.”
The additions to the US women’s national team roster also include a quarterback in addition to the incomparable Vanita Krouch.
Valentina Fanetti played in 10 games for Keiser University and was named MVP of the 2024 NFL Flag Championships with her successful hometown Staten Island Giants.
Coaches and staff will select the final 12-athlete rosters that will travel to international competitions after a training camp from May 15-18 at the United States Performance Center on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The remaining athletes will serve as alternates. USA Football will hold a final training camp in Charlotte in July.
