Kate Allman’s love of American football took her to Finland last year and now she finds herself in China. Not two nations immediately associated with the gridiron game, but the TV presenter and commentator is fast becoming a recognizable voice of flag football through international IFAF competitions.
Having established herself as an American football commentator in her native Australia, Allman was a popular addition to the broadcast team at the 2024 IFAF Flag Football World Championships played in Lahti last summer. This week, she will broadcast around the globe from Chengdu when coverage of The World Games flag football tournament begins on Thursday. All games will be streamed live at The World Games Livebetween August 14 and 17.
Just as gender equality has become established on the field of competition, with women and girls driving the fastest growth in grassroots flag football participation, that parity is extending to the commentary booth, which was once a male-dominated space.
“I'm so grateful for every opportunity and I think that's part of why I'm so passionate about flag football,” says Allman. “As an Australian woman, being called ‘the voice of American football’ in my country is pretty extraordinary. I sometimes reflect that I'm chasing a parallel dream to the athletes on the field. Their dream is to play the game they love on the biggest global stages. Mine is to commentate on it.”
Already a successful commentator for sports such as professional soccer and swimming in Australia, Allman connected with the sport she has enjoyed watching for many years through American Football Australia and called several of their championships and national team games. Then it was on to IFAF’s historic largest-ever world championships in Lahti last year.
“Finland was really cool because once I got to meet all of the individual players that you see on the screen, I got to know their personalities that creates a great rapport and insight,” Allman explains. “I really want to continue that and obviously China is going to be the next step.”
One of the challenges flag football commentators face is that the sport’s athletes have only recently become recognizable to a wider audience, meaning that interesting facts to include within a broadcast are not as readily available as they are for perhaps a soccer or rugby event. For Allman, that also presents an opportunity.
“People who tune in to watch start to find their own favorite players, so I really want to work hard to build those individual stories and personalities up,” she says. “There are the rivalries between the nations and players, whether it's going to be Diana Flores and Vanita Krouch or maybe someone new. Maybe there's a rusher – one of the coolest positions in flag football – who is sacking the quarterback who I can highlight to help hook a few more people and create bigger audiences.”
While much of the focus is on the USA-Mexico rivalry and expectations surrounding continental champions Japan and Great Britain, Allman is eager to discover other storylines that emerge at The World Games.
“I'd love to China to go deep into the competition,” she says. “That would be really cool because of the local heroes sort of storyline and they’re obviously an underdog.
“Mexico and USA are two classy heavyweights. You think about USA quarterback Vanita Krouch and she's a legend of the game. She’s been called the Tom Brady of flag football, but USA has selected and coming up and coming young girl at quarterback as well, so is there an unfolding story to watch there as well? Maybe they’ll have a one-two punch at quarterback this time.
“Can Mexico get it done again or can USA take the crown? That's the Hollywood storyline!”
Ultimately, the bigger picture of women’s flag football being played on the world stage and the continued growth of the game through the IFAF world and continental championships and LA28 is what appeals to Allman.
“For women particularly, flag football has had an incredible impact,” she says. “It is giving women opportunity to play American football - the game we love - but its impact is not only on athletes. The growth of this game and IFAF's commitment to it is providing so many more opportunities for women to be involved in American football as referees, officials, coaches, and everywhere else - spaces where they once historically met glass ceilings.”
Those barriers have now been shattered and Allman is one of the prominent voices behind creating that change.
