Jamaica’s national flag football teams are gearing up for a major showdown at the Flag Football World Championships in Tampa, Florida, scheduled for January 15-19, 2025. With teams from across the globe, including the United States, set to compete, national coach and communications director Kevaun Hinds is optimistic about Jamaica’s prospects and the sport’s growing popularity on the island.

“We have Tampa Bay coming up from January 15-19, 2025. That’s the big one,” Hinds said. “That’s a lot of different countries, a lot of talent from the United States. We are going to be tested in that one.”

The Jamaican men’s and women’s teams will compete in the fast-paced five-on-five format. Both squads are a mix of local and international players, with athletes travelling from Jamaica, the United States, Canada, and the UK. Hinds emphasized the importance of preparation, noting their strategy of intensive training sessions leading up to the tournament.

“Just like we did in Cancun, which worked out well, we come together two to three days before (in Tampa) and we go hard for like eight to 10 hours a day,” Hinds explained. “Of course, we have breaks in between. In the morning, take a break mid-day, come back for 2-4/2-5, take a break, and try to do an evening walk-out. Two solid days just to go over the plays with them and then put them on the practice field.”

Jamaica’s teams have been gaining experience and building confidence through recent international competitions. At the Cancun Bowl in Mexico, from August 15-18, the men’s team reached the semifinals before falling to Cuba. The women’s team fought valiantly but lost three close matches.

In November, at the Panama City Bowl from November 27 to December 1, the women’s team showed marked improvement, finishing with a 5-2 record and advancing to the championship game, where they narrowly missed out on the title. The men’s team also displayed resilience, battling through four closely contested games to make the playoffs.

Hinds praised the teams for their efforts and noted the increasing number of players eager to join the sport. “We have over 200 persons registered, all ready to join the team for 2025. That’s coaching, officiating, and 90 per cent of that is players. Most of them are persons who want to do both. They are from Jamaica, USA, Canada, UK; all over. A lot of persons with Jamaican heritage,” he said.

While the international stage remains a priority, Hinds is equally focused on developing flag football domestically. One key initiative is the high school program, set to restart in February/March 2025. Currently, Kingston Technical High School are the two-time defending champions in the boys’ and girls’ divisions. However, financial challenges reduced participation from eight schools to four in recent years. Hinds is optimistic about restoring the original eight schools for the upcoming season, with letters already sent out to potential participants.

Participating schools confirmed so far include Kingston Technical, Excelsior High School, Camperdown, and Jose Marti High School.

“Locally, we are trying to get the officiating courses started, but we are going to re-start our high school programme by February/March 2025 for high school boys and girls,” Hinds said. “We have sent out letters already but we are trying to get a couple more schools on board.”

Additionally, the annual Christmas Bowl, held at Santos Field in East Kingston, continues to be a highlight of the local calendar. This year’s matchup featured Kingston versus St. Catherine in a thrilling contest.

As the countdown to Tampa Bay begins, the focus is on fine-tuning strategies, building team chemistry, and ensuring all logistics are in place. With a solid track record of recent performances and a growing pool of talent, Jamaica’s flag football teams are poised to make a statement on the world stage.