Youth Flag Football’s largest cohort prepares for annual tournament

Not even rain can stop parents from watching their kids play ball in NFL-team-branded uniforms in Oxford’s youth flag football league, developing skills and cultivating friendships along the way.

The program, run by Oxford Parks & Recreation, began more than 16 years ago and has nearly tripled in size since then. This year, the league boasts its largest cohort of children, with more than 150 boys and girls participating.

There are 20 different teams across three age divisions, going from first to sixth grade. Each team consists of eight players, with six on the field at a time, playing one to two games a week.

Dustin VanWinkle, Oxford’s sports activities supervisor, oversees all the local sports programs, including flag football.

“The goals for the kids are to teach the basic fundamentals of the game of flag football, fundamentally, structurally, everything like that just to make sure the kids are having fun, learning [and] getting better every day,” VanWinkle said.

He said that the league doesn’t keep score of the games during the regular season, instead focusing on creating a positive environment where kids can learn and grow their knowledge of the game.

“We like to have the coaches get everyone involved in different positions because it teaches them the different positions and responsibilities in those different positions,” VanWinkle said. “So everyone gets a chance to run the ball or catch the ball throughout the game.”

While regular-season records aren’t kept track of, the league concludes its season with an annual bracket-style tournament. This year’s tournament will be held on Oct. 5 and 7.

All games take place at the Oxford Community Park, providing a convenient location for families who don’t want to travel long distances to see their kids play.

Chrissy Rolfes, a lifelong Oxford resident, has both of her sons, Nolan, 7, and Max, 11, signed up for flag football this year.

“It’s a pretty positive environment,” Rolfes said. “I feel like they like it. I like that it’s a little less intense than regular football. Since there’s not tackling, I don’t have to worry about head injuries and stuff.”

Rolfes has noticed the program’s growth and attributes it to the flexibility of the game and good scheduling that allows children to play multiple sports without conflict.

“It’s good to see them out, like playing with friends and being outside versus inside, and learning a new skill,” Rolfes said.

In the past, the league struggled to find volunteer coaches and referees. VanWinkle said that despite the record signup this year, managing the logistics of the games wasn't as difficult due to the large number of volunteer coaches and parents who wanted to be involved in the program.

“We’ve had a great turnout of coaches,” VanWinkle said. “This is the first year we haven’t had to do a ton of searching for coaches.”

Andy Farquis, an Oxford resident and former football player, enrolled his 7-year-old in flag football this year. He said he has enjoyed watching his child develop throughout the season.

“He’s definitely getting way better,” Farquis said. “Like you can tell he’s throwing the ball farther when he’s quarterback, and now he’s throwing down jukes and stuff instead of just running around.”

Farquis, who didn’t play tackle football until sixth grade, plans to do the same for his son, citing safety concerns. 

“It’s just getting more popular,” Farquis said. “People are finding out about it, or I think the appeal is not starting kids in tackle so early and then this kind of gets them ready when they want to play tackle later in life.”