Today is International Women’s Day (IWD), which is celebrated annually around the world on March 8 and recognizes the achievements of women across all aspects of life - social, economic, cultural, and political - while also advocating for gender equality.
IWD was marked for the first time in 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, when more than one million women and men attended rallies. As far back as 1776 Abigail Smith Adams, first lady to U.S. President John Adams wrote her 'Remember the Ladies' letter on March 31, urging that Continental Congress consider women's rights and protections when drafting new laws for the newly independent nation of America.
Within the world of sports, the International Federation of American Football strives to advance and enable women’s success and provide equal opportunities. From competing and winning championships in flag and tackle football, to officiating and administering all aspects of the game, women within the IFAF family play an increasingly prominent role.
On International Women’s Day, IFAF shines the spotlight on some of the many women who have reached the pinnacle of the sport and are leading the way, breaking down barriers and opening doors for the next generation.
Super Bowl LIX commercial
The message to the record number of 127.7 million television views tuning in to watch Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans – not to mention a global audience of more than 60 million people – was simple. The clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles might have been the pinnacle of the men’s game, but a commercial aired during the pregame made it clear that women are sending shockwaves through the sport of flag football and their stock is rising.
The tagline ‘Let’s Make Girls Flag Football a Varsity Sport in All 50 States’ was a rally call for administrators across America to ‘leave the past behind’ and join the 15 states already recognizing the sport on an equal footing with more traditional disciplines. That week the host Super Bowl state Louisiana and neighboring Mississippi had committed to the cause.
The commercial starred Liberty High School flag football player Ki’Lolo Westerlund, who is a potential star of the IFAF stage in the making having already made headlines with the U.S. Girls’ Junior National Team
In the commercial, set to an 80s era background, a team of girls’ high school flag football players accepted a challenge to play against a dismissive boys’ team out on the football field and duly showed who was boss.
Among the cast – though heavily disguised in period hairstyles and costumes from the John Hughes movie era – were seven pioneers, winners and some IFAF/NFL Flag Football Ambassadors from the international flag football world
Gabi Bankhardt (Brazil), Elisa De Santis (France), Kodie Fuller (Australia), Ashlea Klam, Vanita Krouch (USA), Mona Stevens (Germany) Tania Rincon (Mexico) have all starred at recent IFAF continental, World Games and world championships.
Kodie helped Australia to a silver medal at the IFAF Asia-Oceania championships in 2023, while Mona’s Germany took bronze at the Europeans that year. Tania claimed silver at the 2024 IFAF Flag Football World Championships in Finland, where Ashlea won goal and Vanita added yet another world crown to her impressive haul of medals.
Now those other 35 states have the opportunity to elevate girls’ flag football to their varsity sports roster.
The World Game 2025, Chengdu, China
Several of those who brought the Super Bowl commercial to life are also poised illuminate The World Games in Chengdu, China, this summer.
First held in 1981, The World Games is an international multi-sport event that featured men’s and women’s flag football for the first time in 2022. This year in China, the women will fly the IFAF flag as eight nations proudly showcase their sport.
Celebrating the successes of just one athlete who has make their mark at each of those nations is a challenge, but we’ll try…
Austria: Quarterback Saskia Stribrny led her nation to the bronze medal at the world championships as she topped the individual passing stats with 955 passing yards. Austria is now Europe’s top-ranked women’s nation, fourth overall.
Canada: Quarterback Sara Parker hails from Monreal and the athletic therapist is the captain and president of the Concordia University Bees team that she founded.
Great Britain: Phoebe Schecter became a European champion with GB in 2023 and has also starred for the women’s tackle team. She is a popular presenter on Sky Sports’ coverage of the NFL in the UK.
Italy: Nausicaa Dell’Orto has captained the Italian national team, has worked at multiple Super Bowls as a presenter, most recently with broadcaster DAZN in New Orleans, and made the Forbes 30 under 30 list of the future leaders in sports.
Japan: By the age of 20, quarterback Chihiro Iwata has already guided her nation to the IFAF Asia-Oceania Continental Championships title and a bronze medal in the world championships.
Mexico: Diana Flores is arguably the best-known flag football player in the world and led her nation to the gold medal at The World Games in 2022 and was the star of the 2024 Super Bowl commercial.
USA: Isabella Geraci is already a world champion having won gold in Finland in 2024. The lights-out wide receiver brings skills honed while playing college basketball to the football field.
IFAF Officials
As IFAF notably increases the number of female officials taking charge of games and tournaments around the world, Germany’s Jessy Ringlestein is a trailblazer who made history when she took charge of an IFAF Europe U19 Championship game between Great Britain and France.
Having already worn the white hat for an IFAF Women’s European Championships game in Germany, the Hamburg native was among the first female officials to referee a game of such magnitude at international level.
“For me it’s a really great honor to work this game,” says Jessy. “It’s big, not just for me, but for all female officials in our sport. I’ve been working for a long time to get here and gained a lot of experience as a referee in local games. All the little steps over the last years got me to this game.
“In the Women’s World Championships, it was about fifty-fifty male to female officials, which was good, and we had one other female head referee, and she was from the U.S., so I was the only European, which is quite big. That was the first step towards this game because IFAF saw my potential.”
