During the buildup to the 2025 IFAF Americans Flag Football Championships, IFAF has posed three questions to the head coaches of the men’s and women’s teams about to compete for continental glory.

Jamaica women’s head coach Keisha Hamilton-Stewart has an extensive background in American football having played tackle in the IWFL and started playing flag football in 2004. She played for 19 years, which has given her a deep understanding of the game from a player's perspective. For the past five years, she has transitioned to coaching, to apply her knowledge and help develop the Jamaican team, which enters an IFAF competition for the first time.

What are the goals for your team in this tournament? 

As a newly formed team, our main goal is to play and represent Jamaica with pride. We want to finish in the top 5 of this tournament to qualify for the World Championships in Germany next August.

What will be the strengths of your team and which players should we watch for? 

Our defense will be key to keeping us in games and making a difference. We have a couple of players to watch out for: our rusher, Salcia Slack, is a former Jamaican track athlete who has transitioned very well to the sport. Our quarterback, Christina Mattis, will also be vital to our success.

What do you think of the group you have been drawn into (Jamaica faces USA, Panama, Brazil and Colombia)? 

It's a tough group, and we know we have a lot of work to do. We are focused on doing our best to qualify out of the group and make a run for the top 5.