By Scott Flickinger, Boston University

The 2014 NIRSA Championship Series Flag Football season culminated in the national championship tournament, which was held January 2–4 at the University of West Florida. While the whole weekend was wet and overcast, the weather didn’t dampen the spirits of the 79 teams—11 Co-Rec, 31 Men’s, 15 Women’s, and 22 Open Division non-collegiate—that traveled to Florida to vie for a NIRSA Championship crown!

This year, teams from 21 states and Mexico arrived in Pensacola on New Year’s Day ready to take on all competitors. From pre-tournament practice, to intense pool play, to exciting bracket and championship action, teams showed their enthusiasm as they prepared to represent home institutions, interact with their competitors, and put their football skills to the ultimate test.

Not everything, though, needed to be about flag football that weekend; sometimes, it’s just about being there in the moment and having fun. When asked what he was most looking forward to during the tournament, New Mexico State University #Verified participant Cody Correa said, “Hanging out with my boys.” Similarly, Brianne Wilburn from the Angelo State IM Legends stated, “I’m most pumped up about playing with the IM Legends!”

The tournament started with pool play and then continued with competitive bracket play on Friday and Saturday. Teams employed game plans for success and personal strategies came to light as well. Kaleb McEntyre from Western Carolina Prime Time said their strategy was to “Go all out, all day, all weekend” while Michigan State participant Patrick Loewen more jovially stated, “It’s all about the eye-black.”

During playoffs, teams continued to discuss strategy and make adjustments. A Louisiana State University participant explained that in order to advance from their first playoff game, “We have to play our game. No dropped passes. Play disciplined defense. And hopefully we’ll make it out with a win.”

This year, tournament discussion could be found at the @NIRSAChamp Twitter and Instagram accounts and using the #NIRSAFlag hashtag. Updates, information, pictures, and more were provided by tournament staff and participants alike. The championship games were webcast live— with commentary by NIRSA Championship staff members Dave Peters of Florida State University and Marty Dempsey from the University of Florida—which allowed friends, peers, and supporters back home to cheer on their teams.

After the dust settled and the smoke cleared, the tournament crowned its champions on Sunday. The University of Central Florida was a repeat champion in the Women’s Division while Valdosta State University took both the Men’s and Co-Rec Division titles. Full results, All-Tournament teams, All-American officials, photos, and archived webcasts of the championship games can be found online.

The tournament’s success falls not only on the teams, but on the volunteer staff and officials who worked tirelessly behind the scenes; tournament staff and hosts put together a brilliant tournament from start to finish. Led by Tournament Directors Brian Mills from the University of Houston—who is also Chair of the NIRSA Championship Series Work Team—and Jake Marg from the University of West Florida, the 2014-2015 NIRSA Flag Football Championship Series staff was composed of 56 collegiate recreation professionals and 60 student officials who gave their time and attention to ensure this tournament would run smoothly and successfully. These professional and student leaders offered the student participants valuable opportunities to engage in positive play, teamwork, leadership, and sportsmanship.

Officials Committee member Jarrode Davis of The Ohio State University said that he hopes that his committee “Can get officials prepared for the weekend and take their officiating games to the next level so they can take that back to their campuses and have better officiated games.” Bethany Appleton, a first-year student event specialist from the University of West Florida, remarked, “Something I really enjoy is seeing how big this program is and how many people are really involved!

Huge thanks to the following NIRSA members who took advantage of Institutional Registrations: Gold level – the University of Florida and the University of Southern Mississippi; Silver – Texas A&M University and Georgia Southern University; Bronze – Florida State University, Louisiana State University, and the University of Central Florida.

And we once again thank the University of West Florida Recreation & Sports Services staff for their exemplary service and hosting during the event. Everyone from team members to staff members to officials will keep the excitement going as we look forward to next year’s championships!

 

For more information about NIRSA Championship Series Flag Football, please contact NIRSA Director of National Sports Programs Valerie McCutchan.