Flag It! Going for Gold in 2028 – Ottawa University

On October 16, 2023, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved the addition of men’s and women’s flag football to the Olympic program for the 2028 summer games in Los Angeles, CA, along with three other sports. Of the decision, CEO of USA Football Scott Hallenbeck said¹, “Today is a momentous day for American football. The decision to add flag football to the 2028 Summer Olympic program in Los Angeles is an acknowledgment of the sport’s tremendous international growth and appeal as a fast, exciting and competitive sport.” 

That international growth has been bolstered significantly by the exposure Ottawa University has given the sport by taking all four NAIA championships since its introduction into the division. In fact, international teams are taking notice of OU’s leadership, and one – the Italian National Team – has tapped Director of Strategic Initiatives and Assistant Flag Football Coach/Defensive Coordinator Katie Sowers to lead its women’s flag football team to the 2028 Olympic games.

“I had been thinking about the possibility of growing the game outside of the USA for some time,” shared Sowers. “I just didn’t know which country it might be. Ironically, a member of the Italian National Team reached out to me during this time, asking if this would be something that I would consider. I took a look at the film of who these players are, and I had no doubt that this would be my team. I could see the love of the game with every snap, and it really felt meant to be. This is something that is a dream come true for so many people, including myself. I have no doubt that this will be one of the most popular sports in the 2028 Olympics.” 

The Italian Women’s National Team has two eighth-place finishes at the World Championships (2014, 2021), a fifth and two sixth-place finishes at the European Championships (2017, 2019, and 2023), and a sixth place at The World Games in Birmingham, Alabama (2022). Italy is currently ranked 12^th in the world.

Sowers brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to her new team. She played professional football as a quarterback and defensive back for both the West Michigan Mayhem and the Kansas City Titans as part of the Women’s Football Alliance. While with the Titans, Sowers was also a member of the U.S. women’s national American football team that won the 2013 International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Women’s World Championship. She continued to play in the WFA until a hip injury led to her retirement in 2016.

But Sowers wasn’t done with football – not by a long shot. Sowers transitioned almost immediately to the coaching side of the game, first as a National Football League (NFL) wide receiver coaching intern with the Atlanta Falcons in 2016. Sowers then moved to the San Francisco 49ers in 2017 as part of Bill Walsh’s Diversity Coaching Fellowship, which was named in honor of the late Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach. Her performance landed her a full-time position as offensive assistant with the team in 2019. That was the same season the 49ers took the NFC Championship that sent them to Super Bowl LIV and earned Sowers the distinction of being the first female coach in Super Bowl history.

After her contract with the 49ers expired in 2020, she took a coaching internship with the Kansas City Chiefs during the off-season and pre-season of 2021. Then, in October of that year, Sowers was appointed as the director of athletic strategic initiatives at Ottawa University, where she coaches the women’s flag football team with her sister Liz.

“Katie is a rockstar when it comes to flag football!” said OU Director of Athletics Janet Eaton-Smith. “Her knowledge of the game is among the elites. What she will bring to the Italian team is grit – she works hard studying film and making sure she has the team prepared to compete. She brings knowledge – she understands the game and can make adjustments on the fly. Lastly, she will bring her love and compassion for people; she will help elevate anyone that’s associated with her through personal connections or just offering a kind word.” 

Sowers acknowledges the challenges that coaching a national team involves, but she comes at them with both passion and a plan.

“Practicing is extremely hard when it comes to a national team,” she said. “You have players from all over the country that have fulltime jobs and families. Right now, we are preparing for a camp at the end of July with optional weekly practices for those who can make it. We will also hold a week-long camp prior to leaving for Finland that will serve as a training camp to prepare for that tournament.”

Sowers sees the top priority right now as getting the players to fully achieve the level of play they are capable of. “Unlike the USA, players in Italy don’t have sports in schools,” she explained. “So little things like having access to film review for every practice or coaching the details of how to attack leverage as a wide receiver will help these players grow in ways they never thought possible.  The exciting thing about that for a coach is that with every practice, you can see so much improvement. A lot of what holds these players back is lack of opportunity. Give them a great opportunity and you will see great results. Plus, there is something special about being an underdog. There is a different passion, there is a different level of gratitude and love for the game. Imagining what we could be is what excites me the most.”

  As the 2028 Olympics approaches, flag football will undoubtedly continue to grow in popularity and talent around the world, but Sowers’ approach to team development will remain steadfast. “Nothing about what I do as a coach will change,” she stressed. “The question I ask myself with every team I coach is, ‘How can I get this team to be the best that it can be?’ Each player and each team will require something different. The worst thing a head coach can do is come into a new situation and fail to evaluate the needs of the team. It is my understanding that only 10 teams will qualify for the Olympics. So, my first goal is to continue to move us up in the world ranking. Then after that, we are mission gold!”

She also hopes to use the incredible coaching opportunity to grow women in flag football both internationally and at OU, which is already represented on the U.S. national team by Addie Orsborn, and in Canada, Spain and Panama with former and current players. 

 “I am working on bringing up good young female coaches from here in Italy to show women that coaching is not just a position reserved for men,” she said. “There is also a chance that we might see some Italians representing Ottawa later this next school year.”

Eaton-Smith is thrilled, but not surprised, at the attention Sowers is bringing to the international flag football movement, as well as to OU’s own program and Sowers’ personal career. “This opportunity for Katie is monumental for the program, the institution, and for women’s sports,” she shared. “Having Katie represent OUKS at the Olympics can bring the University and community a wealth of benefits, including enhanced credibility, the ability to recruit top-tier student-athletes, increased visibility, professional development opportunities, and heightened alumni and donor engagement. Not only can it help elevate the program to new heights, but it can help establish a reputation for excellence in collegiate athletics. I am so excited for Katie. This is such an honor for her and her brand!” 

Sowers is currently living in Italy during these early stages of leading the women’s national team and will juggle her OU responsibilities with the University’s full backing. “Ottawa has been very supportive, and this really goes hand in hand with everything else that I do to grow the game,” she said. “I am not sure what it will look like in the years to come, but I will say that Italy is not a bad place to be. It already feels like a part of me.”

Upon her return to OUKS for the fall semester, Sowers is in for a bit of a surprise. “We are extremely proud of Katie,” said Eaton-Smith. “On August 27, 2024, we are having a Parade of Champions to highlight and celebrate the successes in athletics from the 2023–2024 year; Coach Katie will be one of the parade marshals on that night. But shhh – she doesn’t know about that yet!”