Selfishly, Schecter said her first reaction to seeing what the Bears have done in the UK was “oh my goodness, I wish I had this as a kid.” What stood out to Schecter was how invested the girls already are in the sport.
At the London event, Schecter witnessed a group of girls skip their hour-long lunch break to continue practicing on their own. She saw the girls go from saying they couldn’t catch a football to running routes, snagging passes and, best of all, having a great time.
“It’s been so phenomenal for me to be a part of this and see all this because years ago, we didn’t have anything like this,” Schecter said. “Now off the work that the Bears are doing and the growth of NFL Flag globally, there’s inspiration everywhere you look, and you can’t help but just fall in love with this amazing sport.”
Alongside Silva and Schecter, Johnson is also aiding in the growth of girls flag football, an area he’s become passionate about after seeing the impact sports has on young girls through being an uncle and older cousin.
Serving as an ambassador for the sport is a full-circle moment for Johnson, whose fourth-round selection during the 2023 NFL Draft was announced by Majeedah Emilola, a girls flag athlete who played in the inaugural London league.
