United States quarterback Vanita Krouch has been nominated for The World Games Athlete of the Year 2024 award.
Vanita is the most decorated female flag football athlete of all time and led USA to the silver medal at The World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, in 2022.
A key member of the U.S. National Team since 2016, Vanita has led the U.S. squad to remarkable success, helping the team earn gold medals at the 2018, 2021 and 2024 IFAF World Championships as well as the 2023 IFAF Americas Championships as starting quarterback and team captain. Under her leadership, the U.S. National Team holds a 33-1 record.
“The flag community would call me the female version of Tom Brady and the success he’s had,” Vanita told the NFL in 2022. “Me, personally, I just play football for myself and for the team and I play my style.”
Vanita will again lead the United States at The World Games this summer when the top seven women’s teams from the 2024 IFAF Flag Football World Championships compete alongside hosts China in Chengdu. World champions USA, silver medalists Mexico and third placed Japan will be joined by Austria, Canada, Spain and Great Britain, who finished fourth through seventh overall at the 23-nation tournament in Finland.
Vanita’s success on the flag football field has led her to several unique experiences as she served as the offensive coordinator for the NFC team at the NFL’s annual all-star game, the Pro Bowl, in 2023, when the game transitioned from a tackle to flag football format. Vanita also had a role in the NFL’s 2023 Super Bowl commercial “Run With It,” an ad geared toward the push for increased women’s participation in football.
“For the longest time, thinking about the moment, everything, you’re like, ‘Oh, my gosh, this is a dream come true. Is this really happening?’” Vanita told NBCSports.com in 2023. “But then I started thinking to myself: You know what? None of us grew up thinking of this as a dream to obtain. So really, it’s kind of reversed where I’m living a dream. I get to be a pioneer in this growth of flag football for all and inclusion for all, youth and adults, (women and men). It’s such an inclusive sport, and I get to be a part of this growth and still actively play. It’s exciting. I’m literally living the dream. I’m very much like, ‘Guys, don’t pinch me. Let me keep sleeping.’”
Vanita’s journey in sports began long before her start in flag football. She started playing basketball in the fourth grade and later earned a scholarship to Southern Methodist University in Dallas. She played four seasons (2000-03) at SMU, winning a Western Athletic Conference Championship and earning an appearance in the NCAA Tournament as a freshman. After college, Vanita played semi-pro basketball with the Dallas Diesels before making the transition to flag football.
Her nearly two-decade flag football career started after she did an internet search for rec leagues in the Dallas area and began playing 4-on-4 flag in a men’s division.
“I play flag football because it’s empowering and inclusive,” said Vanita. “I feel women can do all the things a guy can do. Plus, flag solves three problems for me – fulfilling my desire to compete, exercise and be social.”
When she’s not competing against the world’s best, Vanita is helping to shape the lives of children in her community. A physical education teacher for 20 years, Vanita currently teaches at La Villita Elementary in Irving, Texas.
“My work as a P.E. teacher is beyond fulfilling,” Vanita said. “I feel like I haven’t really worked a day in my life because I get to laugh and smile and play and encourage my kids daily. I know that for some of them, I will be the only smile or hug or high five they get and it’s important to me they feel seen and nurtured and loved. I enjoy teaching them how to work with a team and develop their basic motor skills and expose them to various sports and activities to hopefully instill a love for a healthy lifestyle.”
Originally from Cambodia, Vanita and her family fled the Khmer Rouge regime, first seeking refuge in the Philippines (where she was born) before immigrating to the U.S. when she was just two months old. Vanita credits her mother, Phonnary, with keeping her family together during this tremendously difficult time, and it is her family's inspirational journey that continues to motivate Vanita as she breaks barriers in the sport.
Votes for The World Games Athlete of the Year 2024 may be cast via The World Games website, with a limit of one voting session per 24 hours. Each voting session must include votes for two candidates: 2 votes for your first-choice candidate and 1 vote for your second choice. Please note that votes cast for only one candidate will not be counted. Throughout the campaign, the vote tallies for each candidate will be displayed in real time. All voters shall act in accordance with fair play in sport.
