IFAF has announced the first official cohort of the IFAF Women’s Leadership Programme comprising of 16 emerging female leaders from across the American Football family, who will benefit from a dedicated professional development program.
In partnership with Women Lead Sports, the initiative is part of a package of measures to accelerate increased representation of women in the governance of American Football, which is a priority of the IFAF Board. The programme was a specific recommendation of final-year research students from the International Academy of Sport Science and Technology (AISTS), who were tasked by IFAF to identify solutions in a unique educational partnership.
An extraordinary number and quality of applications were received with more than 400 women from more than 40 countries applying, demonstrating the range, commitment and ambition of women driving the sport into a new era. To accommodate all applicants, IFAF has created the Women in American Football Community, which will kick off with an online panel discussion and networking session later in the year to continue to engage with and support all these women on their journey.
“When we invest in women's leadership, we don’t just change individual careers, we change the culture of our entire sport,” said project lead Nicole Grohar, the finance and administration executive at IFAF, a graduate of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) Women’s Leadership Program. “I knew we had to bring this to American football. More diverse voices at the table means better decisions, stronger federations, and a more inclusive future for everyone.”
Phoebe Schecter, the IFAF Lead for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and a two-time IFAF Europe flag football continental champion with Great Britain, joins Grohar as a spokesperson for the programme.
“It is incredible to see IFAF taking such proactive steps to advance equity across our sport,” said Schecter. “I know firsthand the importance of intentionally creating these spaces. There are so many phenomenal women in American football who have an enormous contribution to make.
“The sheer volume of quality applications we receive for this inaugural cohort is proof of the immense ambition, passion and commitment powering our sport. Whilst these 16 emerging leaders will, I have no doubt, thrive in the professional development programme, we are equally dedicated to supporting the hundreds of other exceptional applicants. We will continue to champion, connect, and elevate this global network of talent together.”
IFAF Women’s Leadership Programme Members
Mai Habiba Egypt Board member at EFAF
Mai is a board member at the Egyptian Federation of American Football and is focused on building and growing American football in Egypt. Her journey in sport began at a young age through basketball, where she developed a deep connection to the impact sport can have on people and communities. That passion later evolved into sports growth and development, where she has focused on grassroots programs, partnerships, and community building to support the long-term growth of the sport in Egypt. Mai is passionate about creating sustainable pathways for sports growth, expanding women’s participation and leadership, and using sport as a platform for empowerment, opportunity, and lasting impact within communities.
Nancy Damhindi Nigeria Vice President Admin and Gridiron Gems Initiative at NAFA
Nancy Damhindi’s journey in sport began long before her work in American football. In secondary school, she served as the Female Games Prefect and was actively involved in multiple sporting activities. Sport became one of the earliest spaces where she developed discipline, confidence, teamwork, and leadership. As Vice President of NAFA, she has played a key role in building institutional structures within the sport, including governance systems, safeguarding frameworks, policies, and athlete development pathways. She currently leads the Gridiron Gems Initiative, focused on expanding opportunities, visibility, mentorship, and leadership pathways for girls and women in American football across Nigeria. Her work sits at the intersection of sport, governance, and social impact, with a strong focus on creating sustainable systems that allow women not only participate in sport but grow into leadership within it.
Arely Monserrat Pérez García Mexico Head Program 49ers Flag México
A pioneering flag football and American football coach with more than 20 years of experience at the collegiate, national and international levels. She is a recognized leader in talent development, coaching education and the advancement of women in sports. She serves as Head of Program Education at 49ers Flag México. She was the first woman to serve on a Division I American football coaching staff in Mexico, where she was Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Backs Coach. She is an international panelist at the NFL Women's Forum. Founder and Director of the Women Tackle & Flag Football Coaches Organization, an initiative dedicated to mentorship, education and leadership development for women coaches. She has led national flag football camps in Mexico and head-coached high school, college and youth national teams, creating real opportunities for the next generation of women leaders, on and off the field.
Mbali Ndinisa South Africa Founder of Street Huddle
Her journey in sports began through a passion for storytelling, media and community engagement, which led her to create spaces that connects young people to emerging sports opportunities. With a background in media, operations and projects coordination, she aims to use sport as a tool for empowerment, representation and community development while helping position Africa as a growing force within the global American Football ecosystem.
Nina Juan Philippines National team athlete and Youth Flag Football Coach
From the moment she stepped onto the field for the first time, something clicked. A spark ignited that Nina could not ignore, and in that instant, a dream was realized. Since then, she has not looked back. Every training session, every game, every sacrifice has been fueled by an unwavering pursuit of greatness — not just for herself, but for her country and team. That sense of purpose has driven her through every challenge and carried her to where she is today, representing her nation on the biggest stage while pouring that same passion back into the next generation of players.
Valentina Gianferrari Italy Volunteer Team Manager at FIDAF
Valentina’s journey with Panthers Parma began during the University stage in 2018, and she officially joined the organization in 2019. In 2022, she became Assistant Team Manager for the national team and was later appointed Team Manager in 2024. Alongside these roles, she has been collaborating with the FIDAF communications team since 2022 and with the IFL communications team since 2026.
Shernice Henry New Zealand Programme Coordinator at NZ American Football (NZAFF)
Shernice’s journey in American football began through her family and community, where the game was part of her life long before she had the opportunity to play for the first time in 2017 at 26 years old, when a women’s competition was established in New Zealand. From there her involvement has grown across multiple roles, contributing to the development of the game at club, regional, and national levels. She now works as a Programme Coordinator for the New Zealand American Football Federation, focused on growing participation and building pathways for people to lead and represent across the game.
Jenny Kavanagh Ireland Board member at AFI, captain of Irish Flag team, Coach and Player for South Dublin Panthers
Jenny began her journey playing flag football in mixed leagues where she developed her passion for the sport and its growing community in Ireland. She went on to represent Ireland as captain of the first women’s national team, helping pave the way for women in the game. As part of Ireland first women’s only team, she has been proud to contribute to the growth and visibility of women’s football nationally. She continues to captain Ireland, play and coach in the women’s league while also serving on the board of AFI, working to support and develop the sport at all levels.
Kelly Dwyer Ireland Assistant Coach with Nordic Storm
Her journey in sport began more than ten years ago as a spectator at her university’s American football club games (UL Vikings), where she first developed a passion for the sport. That early interest quickly grew into active involvement as both a player and leader within the game. Kelly went on to compete in flag football across Europe and Southeast Asia and had the honor of representing Ireland at both the IFAF European and World Championships. Alongside her playing career, he became increasingly involved in the development of the sport off the field. She previously spent five years serving on the Board of Management for American Football Ireland, contributing to the strategic growth of American football nationally. In 2024, Kelly was appointed Director of Flag Football in Ireland, where she founded the country’s National Women’s Flag Football League (Claddagh League) to expand opportunities for female participation.
Elisha Torraville Canada Female Development Director at Football Alberta
Elisha is a leader in Canadian football and a passionate advocate for the growth of women and girls in sport. She is the founder and commissioner of the Southern Alberta Female Football League (SAFFL) and sits on the Calgary Bantam Football Association board as the Girl's Programming Director. Elisha currently serves as General Manager for Alberta’s U16, U18, and Senior Women’s provincial teams and sits on the Board of Directors for Football Alberta as Female Development Director. She also leads Football Alberta’s Coach Mentorship Program and represents the province on the Football Canada Women’s Leadership Committee. She was the Chair of the Committee responsible for planning the 2025 Football Canada U18 Nationals. In 2026 she will be leading the charge in creating the first ever tournament for U16 females in Western Canada. Her experience ranges from grassroots to professional sport, including serving as Director of Football Operations for the Edmonton Elks as the first hire through the CFL’s Women in Football program.
Eda Aslann Türkiye Flag Football Player, Coach, and Community Builder at Yıldız Stallions Team
Eda have been actively involved in flag football for more than ten years, starting her journey on the home field of the Stallions. In the early days, before flag football achieved official status in Türkiye, they had to build everything from scratch out of pure passion for the game acting not just as players, but as organizers and referees. Throughout this decade, she developed a deep, well-rounded understanding of the sport by playing multiple positions, including quarterback, wide receiver, and defensive back. Her path naturally shifted toward leadership in 2022, as offensive coach during the nation's first official University League. She is a certified Assistant Coach and an active athlete, remaining deeply committed to training new players and driving the technical development of women’s flag football on and off the field.
Elissa Sagoskin Israel Head Coach, Israel Women's National Flag Football
Sport has always been an integral part of Elissa’s life from a young age. She grew up in the United States participating in team sports and eventually chose basketball as her focus. Never the biggest or tallest, she emerged as a standout point guard known for her skill and leadership but most importantly her determination. After moving to Israel, she continued to play basketball at a competitive level and then was introduced to flag football. Elissa had the opportunity to try out for the national team and from there her journey with flag football began. She has been involved with this sport for more than 20 years as a player, coordinator and now head coach.
Molly Fluet United States Non-Executive Director British American Football Association
Molly is Global Director of Business and Media at YouGov, where she leads business development and strategy for the public and political team across the US, UK, and Europe. With a 15-year career spanning POLITICO’s offices in Washington, London, and Brussels, she has spent her professional life at the intersection of political intelligence, policy communications, and media strategy. She holds a Master’s degree in Political Communication. In spring 2025, Molly joined the Board of the British American Football Association (BAFA), bringing a lifelong passion for the sport. As the only girl on her flag football team growing up, she had to lobby her principal just to be allowed to play — an experience that sparked a drive to open doors for others. She joined the board with a personal mission to support the sport and grow programs globally.
Pier Carla Sailau Cecilia Pritchard Australia Athlete and Coach at American Football Australia
Raised by immigrant grandparents from Tonga, Pier’s journey in sport began with taking a chance on American Football more than 10 years ago. After a six-year stint in semi-professional Rugby League, she returned to the flag football community with a renewed purpose. Since then, growing the game has become a big part of who she is. From building grassroots programs to supporting the rise of women’s teams within my country and giving back to the community has been equally important to her as playing. While proud to represent her club, state, and country on the field, she is equally driven off it and is invested in strengthening the connection between her community and the governing body and giving back to the heritage that raised her. For Pier, it is all about creating real opportunities and "leaving my jersey in a better place" for the next generation of her flag football community.
Gaby Osorio Panama Deputy Executive Director
Originally from Panama, Gaby is a graduate student at the University of Central Florida, where she is pursuing her MBA and MSBM through the DeVos Sport Business Management Program. Her journey in sports began in 2017 through event operations and logistics, supported by her background in logistics. She has contributed to the growth of flag football through her work with the American Football Federation of Panama (AFFP), supporting major international events such as the Flag Football World Championship 2018 and the IFAF Americas Continental Championship 2025 in Panama. Gaby is also completing her internship with TMRW Sports supporting the Flag Football Operations team. As flag football continues to grow globally and move toward the Olympic stage, she is motivated to help create more structured and sustainable systems that elevate opportunities for athletes and strengthen the future of the sport.
Desiree Abrams United States NFL Replay Official
Desiree serves as a high school tackle and flag football official with the Eastern Board of Officials (EBO), collegiate tackle official the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and a collegiate flag official in the Sun Conference. She is a NFL Replay Assistant, serves as Head of Officiating for the Women's National Football Conference (WNFC), the Assigner for Conference Carolinas Women's Flag Football and is the founder of the National Women's Football Officials Association (NWFOA), an organization charged with the betterment of women's football through exceptional officiating.She has officiated flag football at its highest level in the United States and internationally at IFAF competitions. Desiree is a Global Flag Football Ambassador and serves on several flag football review boards including the NCAA Women's Flag Football Working Group and serves as the Chair of USA Football's Flag Football Competition Committee with the goal of unifying flag styles and rulesets across the country.
