Flag’s on Fire

Episode 30 Description

Long before flag football became an Olympic sport, Jorge Cascudo was already helping define what elite quarterback play looked like.

On Episode 30 of Flags on Fire, Jorge joins Jason Kerrick for a wide-ranging conversation about his journey from a baseball pitcher in Miami to becoming one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in flag football history—and eventually the head coach of the Team USA Men’s National Team.

Jorge grew up in a baseball family and earned a college scholarship as a pitcher. But after college, he discovered Miami’s flag football scene, put together a team with friends, went undefeated, won a championship, and never looked back.

That journey eventually led to USA Football.

In 2010, Jorge was selected to represent the United States and helped Team USA win its first gold medal. He would go on to spend roughly a decade with the national team, winning four gold medals and one silver while establishing himself as one of the most respected quarterbacks of his generation.

Jorge also shares the fascinating story of how his playing career ended—and how coaching began.

After failing to make Team USA in what he hoped would be one final run as a player, he received an unexpected call from Panama asking him to coach its national team. Jorge took the job, helped Panama earn its best-ever men’s finish at the time with a bronze medal, and eventually returned home to become head coach of Team USA.

The conversation also dives deep into the modern Team USA selection process. Jorge explains just how difficult roster decisions have become, saying the U.S. has enough talent to potentially field two or three teams capable of competing for gold.

We also discuss the looming impact of NFL talent on Olympic flag football, how Team USA evaluates players, how the international game has evolved, and what it will take to stay ahead as countries around the world continue to close the gap.

And Jorge takes us inside Team USA’s latest World Championship run, where an unexpected loss to American Samoa forced the team onto a more difficult path before ultimately winning gold. Jorge called it one of the most meaningful championships he has ever been part of because of the adversity, resilience and character his team showed along the way.

In this episode, we cover Jorge’s transition from baseball to flag football, his rise as an elite quarterback, Team USA’s early years, the evolution of offensive concepts, coaching Panama, building the current U.S. roster, NFL players and LA28, the USA-Mexico rivalry, and what Olympic flag football could become.

For anyone interested in the history, present and future of flag football, this is a conversation with someone who has experienced nearly every stage of the sport’s evolution.

🎙️ Episode 30 — Jorge Cascudo
🏈 Flags on Fire

#FlagsOnFire #JorgeCascudo #FlagFootball #TeamUSA #USAFootball #OlympicFlagFootball #LA28 #Olympics #FlagFootballCoach #FlagFootballQuarterback #MensFlagFootball #FootballPodcast #NFLFlag #TeamUSAFootball #WorldChampionships

Flag football has changed dramatically over the past two decades—and few coaches have had a front-row seat to that evolution quite like Jack Reed.

On this episode of Flags on Fire, Jack joins the show to tell the remarkable story of a flag football journey that stretches from the early days of international competition to his current role as Head Coach of the Great Britain Women's National Team.

Long before flag football became an Olympic sport, Jack was helping build some of the earliest U.S. national teams. In 2008, he was responsible for assembling the men's and women's teams for Team USA's first IFAF Flag Football World Championship appearance. Two years later, he went searching for the best flag players in the country, found quarterback George Cascudo, and helped assemble a U.S. team that captured gold in 2010.

But today, Jack finds himself on the other side of the Team USA rivalry.

As head coach of Great Britain, Reed has helped develop one of the most competitive women's national teams in the world. At the recent World Championships in Germany, Great Britain led Team USA 21–7 at one point in the semifinal and held a 21–14 halftime advantage before the Americans rallied for a dramatic 27–21 victory. GB then came within a single point of Mexico in the bronze-medal game.

Jack talks about the heartbreak of coming so close, rebuilding the culture of the Great Britain program, what separates elite international teams, and the road that remains for GB to qualify for LA28. And despite surprising plenty of people at Worlds, Jack makes one thing clear: Great Britain wasn't surprised.

“We’re not just happy to be there and happy to be close. We expected to be there.”

We also dive into Jack's fascinating history in international football, the explosive growth of girls' flag football, his experiences coaching Panama, the evolution of Team USA, and what the international game could look like as the sport approaches its Olympic debut.

From helping build Team USA to now trying to beat them, Jack Reed has one of the most unique perspectives in flag football.

🔥 In this episode:

• The surprising beginnings of Team USA flag football
• How Jack helped assemble the 2010 U.S. gold-medal team
• The rise of girls' and women's flag football
• Building a flag football community from the ground up
• Coaching Panama on the international stage
• Taking over the Great Britain Women's National Team
• GB's dramatic semifinal against Team USA
• The painful one-point bronze-medal loss to Mexico
• Rebuilding Great Britain's team culture
• The road to Olympic qualification
• Why the international game is getting better—and more competitive—than ever

#FlagsOnFire #FlagFootball #JackReed #GreatBritainFlagFootball #TeamGB #TeamUSA #USAFootball #WomensFlagFootball #GirlsFlagFootball #LA28 #Olympics #OlympicFlagFootball #IFAF #FlagFootballWorldChampionships

What can happen when a dad simply says yes when his daughter asks him to coach her flag football team?

For Travis Newton, that decision helped launch a coaching journey that has taken him from recreational girls flag football in South Florida to high school and travel programs, the UConn women's club team, and now the University of Bridgeport, where he's helping build a new collegiate women's flag football program from the ground up.

On Episode 28 of Flags on Fire, Travis joins Jason Kerrick to discuss his unconventional path into college coaching, the rapid growth of women's flag football, what he's learned coaching at different levels of the game, and what it takes to identify and develop players capable of succeeding at the collegiate level.

Travis also takes us behind the scenes of building Bridgeport's inaugural roster. With more than 500 prospective recruits reaching out to the program, he explains how a two-person coaching staff searches for overlooked talent, evaluates multi-sport athletes and tries to construct a roster capable of competing—and winning—in Year One.

We also get into the X's and O's.

In Coach's Corner, Travis breaks down one of his favorite five-on-five concepts, including how he uses the run game to manipulate defenders before attacking them with the center downfield. He also explains why he believes center is one of the most versatile—and underutilized—positions in flag football.

The conversation also covers:

• Why multi-sport athletes can thrive in flag football
• The surprising talent level of women's collegiate club flag
• How coaches can find overlooked recruits across the country
• Why young athletes need coaches to explain the “why”
• Teaching quarterbacks to recognize coverage and make decisions
• Why an elite rusher may impact a championship team more than any other position
• How South Florida became one of America's flag football hotbeds
• Advice for parents and first-time volunteer coaches
• Why Travis measures coaching success by how many girls come back the following season, not simply wins and championships

It's a conversation about much more than X's and O's. It's about coaching with purpose, creating opportunities for young women, and how the explosive growth of flag football is opening doors that didn't exist only a few years ago.

🎙️ Episode 28 — Travis Newton
🏈 Flags on Fire

#FlagsOnFire #FlagFootball #WomensFlagFootball #GirlsFlagFootball #CollegeFlagFootball #UniversityOfBridgeport #TravisNewton #FlagFootballCoach #FootballCoaching #FlagFootballRecruiting #Quarterback #GirlsSports #CollegeSports #LA28 #OlympicFlagFootball

Episode 27 of Flags on Fire features Aubrey Fogel, Florida’s reigning Miss Flag Football and the quarterback behind Seminole Ridge’s back-to-back state championships.

Aubrey shares how she began playing quarterback at six years old, developed into one of Florida’s premier players and helped restore Seminole Ridge’s championship tradition. She also takes us inside her approach to film study, reading defensive leverage, building chemistry with receivers and transitioning between 5v5 and 7v7 flag football.

Now entering her senior season, Aubrey is chasing a third consecutive state championship while navigating college recruiting and considering what her future could hold as the sport moves toward the LA 2028 Olympics.

This is the story of an accomplished quarterback who is still getting better—and having fun while making history.

#FlagsOnFire #FlagFootball #GirlsFlagFootball #WomensFlagFootball #AubreyFogel #SeminoleRidge #MissFlagFootball #FloridaFlagFootball #Quarterback #FlagFootballRecruiting #LA28 #RoadToLA28

Flag football is headed to the Olympic Games — but what does it actually take to build Team USA for LA28?

On this episode of Flags on Fire, Jason sits down with Scott Hallenbeck, CEO of USA Football, for an inside look at one of the fastest-growing sports movements in the world.

Scott discusses the remarkable rise of flag football, the explosive growth of the girls’ and women’s game, how USA Football is building a true athlete-development pathway, and the work underway to identify and develop the players who could ultimately represent the United States in Los Angeles in 2028.

We also dive into:

🏈 How flag football made its way into the Olympics
🇺🇸 How Team USA is identifying the country's best talent
🥇 Why winning Olympic gold is the ultimate objective
🚀 Why Scott describes flag football's growth as “rocket fuel”
👧 The incredible expansion of girls’ and women’s flag football
🏟️ The NFL's role in growing flag football in the U.S. and internationally
🏈 Why flag and tackle football can grow together rather than compete against one another
🌎 How Olympic inclusion is accelerating flag football around the world

From youth leagues to high school and college programs to the Olympic stage, the football landscape is changing incredibly fast.

If you want to understand where flag football is going next and how Team USA is preparing for LA28, this is an episode you don't want to miss.

#FlagsOnFire #FlagFootball #USAFootball #TeamUSA #LA28 #Olympics #OlympicFlagFootball #GirlsFlagFootball #WomensFlagFootball #Football

How do you help build a sport from the ground up—and then build one of the best programs in the state?

In Episode 25 of Flags on Fire, Hamilton High School head coach Matt Stone joins the show to tell the remarkable story behind the rise of girls flag football in Arizona and the development of Hamilton into a back-to-back state championship program.

Long before girls flag football became an AIA-sanctioned sport, Stone was pushing to create opportunities for girls to play. What began with powder-puff games at Desert Ridge eventually became a years-long effort to convince Arizona's high-school sports establishment that girls flag football belonged. At one early meeting, not a single athletic director raised a hand in support—but Stone kept pushing.

The journey also includes an incredibly personal chapter involving AIA president Art Wagner, who believed in Stone's vision and helped lay the groundwork for the sport before his tragic death just days before the proposal was scheduled to reach the AIA board. Stone then had to decide whether—and how—to continue the mission.

Years later, the vision became reality. Arizona girls flag football grew from 6 schools to 36, then 54, 102, 124 and approximately 148 schools, while Hamilton emerged as one of the state's premier programs.

Coach Stone also takes us inside the football side of Hamilton's success—defensive philosophy, film study, game planning, rule development and why he believes Arizona flag football can compete with anyone in America. Hamilton backed that belief on the national stage, beating state champions from Florida, Georgia and Illinois while losing to Colorado's champion by just one point.

This episode is part flag football history lesson, part coaching clinic, and part blueprint for what can happen when someone refuses to give up on an idea.

🔥 In this episode: the origins of Arizona girls flag football, the fight for AIA sanctioning, Hamilton's championship culture, building a powerhouse program, defensive strategy and film study, the evolution of flag football rules, and where the sport could go next.

#FlagFootball #GirlsFlagFootball #HighSchoolFlagFootball #ArizonaFlagFootball #HamiltonFootball #FlagFootballCoach #WomensFlagFootball #FootballCoaching #AIA #FlagsOnFire

What does it take to become a captain of Team USA?

In Episode 24 of Flags on Fire, I sit down with Deliah Autry-Jones, co-captain of the USA Football Women's National Team, for an inspiring conversation about leadership, resilience, mental toughness, and the incredible growth of women's flag football as it prepares for its Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028.

Deliah shares her remarkable journey—from picking up a football for the first time as a freshman at Robinson High School under legendary coach Josh Saunders to becoming one of the veteran leaders of Team USA. She opens up about overcoming imposter syndrome, developing into a leader by example, and why confidence is built through preparation, consistency, and earning the trust of your teammates.

As a pediatric physical therapist, Deliah Autry-Jones also brings a unique perspective on athlete development. She explains why ACL injury prevention is so important for female athletes, how proper movement mechanics can extend an athlete's career, and why specializing in one sport too early may actually do more harm than good.

One of the most powerful moments of the interview comes when Deliah discusses the importance of mental preparation. She shares how working with a sports psychologist transformed her own performance and why athletes must train their minds with the same commitment they train their bodies. She also offers practical advice for young athletes on avoiding burnout, separating their identity from their sport, and embracing recovery as part of the training process.

We also dive into the championship culture built by Coach Josh Saunders at Robinson High School, what makes Team USA successful on the international stage, and how women's flag football has evolved into one of the fastest-growing sports in the world.

🏈 Deliah Autry-Jones' journey to Team USA

🇺🇸 What it means to be a Team USA captain

🧠 Building confidence and overcoming imposter syndrome

💪 Injury prevention and ACL awareness for female athletes

🏃 Why multi-sport athletes often develop into better competitors

🔥 The championship culture of Robinson High School and Coach Josh Saunders

🌍 The rapid growth of women's flag football worldwide

🥇 Preparing for the 2028 Olympic Games

❤️ Mental health, sports psychology, and avoiding athlete burnout

👧 Deliah's mission to inspire the next generation through Camp 13

Whether you're a player, coach, parent, or simply passionate about the future of flag football, this episode is packed with valuable insights from one of the sport's most respected leaders.

Be sure to subscribe to Flags on Fire for more conversations with the athletes, coaches, and innovators shaping the future of flag football.

#FlagsOnFire #DeliahAutryJones #TeamUSA #USAFootball #FlagFootball #Olympics2028 #LA2028 #WomensFlagFootball #GirlsFlagFootball #Leadership #SportsPsychology #AthleteDevelopment #FootballPodcast #JoshSaunders #MentalPerformance

In this episode we discuss:

In Episode 23 of Flags on Fire, I sit down with Charles Torwudzo, Head of Player Personnel for USA Football, for an exclusive look inside the player evaluation, scouting, and selection process as Team USA prepares for the road to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Charles shares his incredible journey from playing Big Ten football at Purdue, competing professionally in Canada and the Arena Football League, to helping oversee all six USA Football National Teams. Today, he leads player personnel for the men's, women's, and junior national teams, identifying the athletes who will represent the United States on the world's biggest stages.

We dive deep into how USA Football scouts athletes, develops its National Team Development Program, evaluates talent, and builds championship-caliber rosters. Charles also explains why finding elite athletes isn't just about speed or athleticism—it's about identifying players who fit specific roles, embrace development, and thrive under pressure.

One of the most fascinating conversations centers around the rapid growth of international flag football. Charles discusses how the sport has exploded since its Olympic announcement, the rise of international competition, and why countries around the world are quickly closing the gap on Team USA.

We also discuss the much-talked-about Fanatics Games, the debate surrounding NFL players entering Olympic flag football, and why Charles believes one concept separates elite flag football players from everyone else:

Time on task.

Talent matters.

Experience matters more.

Throughout the episode, Charles explains why years of mastering the nuances of flag football can't simply be replaced by elite athleticism alone.

🏈 Charles' journey from Purdue to USA Football

🇺🇸 Building Team USA for international competition

📈 How flag football has exploded since the Olympic announcement

👀 What scouts actually look for in athletes

📋 The National Team Development Program

🎯 Talent ID camps, Accelerators, and Digital Combines

💻 How unknown players can get discovered

🏃 Talent transfer from other sports

🏆 The pressure of representing Team USA

🔥 Why "time on task" matters more than raw talent

🏅 The road to the 2028 Olympics

Whether you're an aspiring Team USA athlete, coach, parent, or simply a fan of the fastest-growing sport in the world, this conversation provides an unprecedented look inside the organization building America's next generation of flag football champions.

Be sure to subscribe to Flags on Fire for more conversations with the coaches, players, and leaders shaping the future of flag football.

#FlagsOnFire #CharlesTorwudzo #USAFootball #TeamUSA #FlagFootball #Olympics2028 #LA2028 #OlympicFlagFootball #NationalTeam #FootballScouting #Quarterback #FootballCoaching #GirlsFlagFootball #WomensFlagFootball #FootballPodcast

In Episode 22 of Flags on Fire, I sit down with Lacie Nemchick, one of the nation's premier young flag football quarterbacks and one of Arizona's fastest-rising stars.

Already holding multiple college offers—including a Power Four offer from Nebraska—Lacie shares the journey that has taken her from playing on all-boys recreational teams to becoming one of the faces of girls' flag football in Arizona.

We discuss her development as a quarterback, how working with Slingit QB Coaching transformed her mechanics and confidence, and why competing against boys early in her career helped shape the player she is today.

Lacie also gives a behind-the-scenes look at her experience attending the prestigious Manning Passing Academy, where she learned from Hall of Fame quarterbacks, elite college players, and some of the best quarterback coaches in the country. She reflects on seeing the number of girls at the camp grow dramatically—a sign of just how quickly women's flag football is evolving.

During our Coach's Corner, Lacie breaks down one of her favorite offensive concepts and walks through exactly how she reads safeties, corners, leverage, and pressure before the snap. She also explains why today's elite flag football quarterbacks must master both traditional timing concepts and the ability to throw accurately while rolling out under pressure.

In this episode, we cover:

🏈 Growing up playing against boys
🎯 Quarterback training and mechanics
🔥 The Manning Passing Academy experience
🌽 Earning a Nebraska scholarship offer
🎓 College recruiting for women's flag football
🧠 Reading defenses before the snap
📖 Quarterback decision-making and progression reads
🏆 Arizona high school flag football
✈️ Club travel and national competition
🇺🇸 The future of women's flag football leading into the 2028 Olympics

Whether you're a quarterback, coach, parent, or simply someone excited about the explosive growth of women's flag football, this conversation offers a firsthand look at the mindset, preparation, and dedication required to compete at the highest level.

Be sure to subscribe to Flags on Fire for more conversations with the athletes, coaches, and leaders shaping the future of flag football.

#FlagsOnFire #LacieNemchick #FlagFootball #GirlsFlagFootball #WomensFlagFootball #Quarterback #QuarterbackTraining #Nebraska #ManningPassingAcademy #USAFootball #HighSchoolFootball #CollegeRecruiting #Olympics2028 #FootballPodcast #ArizonaFlagFootball

In episode 21, Todd breaks down:

🏈 How coaching his own child launched his flag football journey
🔥 Why he believed girls flag football was ready to explode
👧 How Apex created opportunities before a clear pathway existed
🏆 Building championship programs at the club and high school levels
🎓 The rise of collegiate women’s flag football
🇺🇸 Coaching within the Team USA pipeline
🧠 How he develops quarterbacks to read leverage and change plays at the line
⚡ Why elite quarterback play remains essential in international flag football
🚀 What the sport could look like after the 2028 Olympics
👩‍🏫 Why former players must become the next generation of coaches

During Coach’s Corner, Todd explains how he gives quarterbacks a primary play and a “kill” call, allowing them to read defensive leverage and change the concept before the snap. That freedom requires film study, repetition, and trust—but it also helps quarterbacks truly take ownership of an offense.

Todd also shares a powerful vision for the future: the next stage of growth will come when today’s college players return to the game as coaches, leaders, and advocates. In his view, there may not yet be a ceiling for women’s flag football.

Whether you’re a coach, athlete, parent, or fan excited about the road to the 2028 Olympic Games, this conversation offers a fascinating look at how the women’s game was built—and where it may be headed next.

Subscribe to Flags on Fire for more conversations with the coaches, players, and leaders shaping the future of flag football.

#FlagFootball #ToddThomson #FlagsOnFire #TeamUSA #NevadaState #ApexPredators #GirlsFlagFootball #WomensFlagFootball #CollegeFlagFootball #QuarterbackDevelopment #FootballCoaching #USAFootball #OlympicFlagFootball #LA2028 #FlagFootballPodcast