Since the announcement last Autumn that flag football will feature in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the game has seen rapid growth in the UK. Cheltenham Neptunes quarterback Ashley Lewis hopes to be there in the US, but not as a player.
“I’m really, really excited to see it in the Olympics. I’m currently playing for the GB Silver Lions, but I think the Olympics is probably a stretch too far for myself as a player,” he said.
“But there’s the opportunity to play with players who are going to play in the Olympics with the Silver Lions, and maybe do some coaching with them as well.”
The Welshman is happy to see his beloved game continue to grow: “This niche sport, a niche of a niche, you could say, is going to be on the world stage and some of the people I’ve grown up playing with are going to get the opportunity to show their talents.
“I’m super excited about it, and super excited about what I can do at a local level as well, the Cheltenham Neptunes are seeing an impact from that already, so I’m just really excited just to see how it unfolds,” the QB now playing for the Gloucestershire-based side continued.
What does it mean for the sport to make its debut at the Olympics in less than four-years time? According to Lewis, the sport will be able to develop quickly on every level.
“The more people play it, the more we raise the floor of the game, but also the ceiling as well. So it’s just absolutely great for just increasing participation and just improving the level of the game as well, because I think that’s where it can grow the most,” Lewis said.
🏈 Did you know you could try one of the world’s fastest-growing sports right here in Gloucestershire?@TheSJMoores attended a training session with the @CheltenhamNeptunes to learn about flag football, a sport that will debut at the LA 2028 Olympics.#Flag #flagfootball #NFLUK pic.twitter.com/q1BRwAuSVU
— Park Life Sport (@ParkLife_Sport) November 18, 2024
With the NFL getting more and more popular in the UK, thanks to the ever-successful London Games, Lewis began playing American football, but decided to make a switch to flag.
“Over the years, I stopped lying to myself and admitted I preferred flag for different reasons.
“I just started falling in love with it. The ability just to throw the ball. If you play, everyone can throw and catch it. There’s more action, faster-paced, and you can just play more,” the QB explained.
