New York (Special to NFLNewsbyZennie62.com) – With NFL Flag Championships presented by Toyota this weekend, the NFL debuts its newest youth flag football campaign “Let’s Play,” an evolution of the 2023 campaign, capturing the intensity, excitement and grit of the sport. The video stars NFL players CeeDee Lamb (Dallas Cowboys) and Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers), as well as streamer IShowSpeed. Real-life youth flag football stars also make appearances, including Brooklin Hill (Apex Predators), Ava Wallace (Texas Fury) and Milan Heisdorf (Conquer SoCal).
A rallying call to embrace the individuality, camaraderie and boundary-pushing nature of flag football, “Let’s Play” opens on the field. Impressive game highlights are shot on a phone, streamed on IShowSpeed’s channel, and seen by Justin Herbert in the weightroom, visually symbolizing the flag support from many of the league’s top players. CeeDee Lamb even plays a coach, hyping up his flag team with a rallying chant, as IShowSpeed is cheering on the plays from the sideline.
“With flag, you got to have that hand-eye coordination, so it requires different techniques, different moves – it’s just fun,” said CeeDee Lamb. “When I look at the future of flag, I’m looking forward to seeing a lot of touchdowns along with that competitive spirit that’s always going to be there with football. It’s been cool to see the game transform.”
With every stutter step, juke and sideline pass from real youth flag players, “Let’s Play” underscores how powerful, dynamic and exciting this game can be.
“For the latest evolution of ‘Let’s Play,’ we wanted to spotlight the epic nature of flag, the impressiveness of individual moves and why millions of people around the world love this game,” said Marissa Solis, NFL senior vice president of global brand and consumer marketing. “With the support of many of the league’s top players like CeeDee and Justin, we hope to encourage interest and future participation from anywhere and everywhere, and the inaugural NFL Flag Championships this weekend will be a huge part in achieving this goal, as the best youth flag players compete from around the world.”
The NFL Flag Championships presented by Toyota, the world’s premiere youth flag football tournament, will take place from July 18-21 at the Hall of Fame Village in Canton. The event will feature 2,860 flag players and over 280 teams of girls and boys from across the country representing all 32 NFL clubs. The three flag players in “Let’s Play,” Brooklin Hill, Ava Wallace and Milan Heisdorf, will compete in the NFL Flag Championships.
For the first time, an international division made up of 14U athletes from around the world will also compete at the NFL Flag Championships in Canton. Six co-ed teams will travel from Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Great Britain and Mexico to compete against one another. All teams will have qualified for the NFL Flag Championships in the U.S., by winning national NFL Flag tournaments in their home countries.
Broadcasted in partnership with ESPN/Disney, the championships will feature 32 hours of live coverage. ESPN, Disney, and the NFL will bring fans exciting action throughout the event, with coverage spanning 10 different platforms.
As one of the world’s fastest-growing sports, flag football is played by over 20 million people in more than 100 countries, across six continents. It is the most inclusive and accessible format of football, played by people of all ages and genders, with female athletes driving some of the fastest growth
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced in October 2023 that flag football will be included in the 2028 Summer Olympic Games program in Los Angeles. The inclusion puts flag football on the world’s largest stage.
If you’re interested in playing flag football, visit NFLFLAG.com to find a league and get playing today.
About IShowSpeed
Darren Watkins Jr., bka IShowSpeed, is a 19-year-old streamer and entertainer from Cincinnati, OH. Widely recognized as one of the most influential personalities in streaming and digital entertainment history, Speed is known for his dynamic, improvisational presentation style. Captivating an audience reaching the billions in views, Speed’s live streams combine his love for sports, travel, gaming, humor, cultural exploration, and a deep connection with his audience around their mutual admiration of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Throughout his career, iShowSpeed has been the recipient of several prestigious industry awards recognizing his groundbreaking innovation and impact in digital media, including winning Breakout Streamer of the Year in 2022, and Variety Streamer of the Year in 2023 at the Streamy Awards. These accolades underscore his role as a leading trendsetter in the space and highlight his unique ability to capture massive, engaged youthful audiences.
In April 2024, Speed reached an historic milestone becoming the most followed English-speaking streamer of all-time, surpassing the number of YouTube subscribers previously held by Ninja. As he continues to rewrite the rulebook on what it means to be an online personality, Speed is not just at the forefront of streaming—he is actively defining the future of how sports and entertainment intersect on the global stage, while fundamentally reshaping the possibilities for modern creators.