Former player and current assistant coach of the USA Football 17U Girls’ US National Team Nadia Bibbs will travel to Tonga and Fiji for a series of coach and player clinics. Photo credit: USA Football.
Speed, agility, hand-eye coordination and strategic thinking are some of the qualities which make a great flag football player says former United States Women’s National Team flag football world champion Nadia Bibbs.
“Most importantly, however, is a drive to want to get better,” Nadia adds.
“Many players are naturally talented, but it is the players who have a great work ethic and strong drive that become the great players.”
Nadia, who is the current assistant coach of USA Football’s 17U Girls’ US National Team, along with head coach Joshua Saunders, will be on the lookout for players with these qualities during the upcoming launch of the U.S. Flag Football program in Tonga and Fiji.
USA Football Sports Envoy
From August 5-9, the US Embassy in Tonga will host the USA Football Sports Envoy, during which Nadia and Joshua will conduct a series of coach-to-coach workshops and after school clinics for youth interested in playing flag football.
The Sports Envoy will then travel to Fiji to launch the same program in Nadi and Suva.
Flag football is set to make its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028.
The goal of reintroducing the sport into Tonga and Fiji is to pave an alternative pathway for aspiring Pacific athletes.
With no shortage of accomplishments and drive herself, Nadia represented the US in flag football twice, winning a gold medal at the 2021 International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Flag Football World Championship in Jerusalem and silver at the 2022 World Games.
Her skillset crosses over to her other passion, basketball. She played in college and later competed for Mexico’s national basketball team for six years, winning silver at the 2011 Pan American Games.
Working as a software engineer for a trading firm, Nadia juggles her career with her coaching position due to a love of her job and hard work, and of course, sport.
“I have always enjoyed the game of football,” she says.
“Growing up, it was my favorite sport to play, but young girls didn’t have many opportunities to play once we reached our high school years…I want to share my knowledge so the sport can continue to grow, and this way, young girls can continue to play a sport they love and have opportunities to play as they get older.”
Nadia Bibbs. Photo credit: USA Football.
First time visiting Tonga
It will be Nadia’s first visit to Tonga and the Pacific region, where is she is keen to see how Pacific coaches and players translate their skills from rugby to flag football.
“We like to believe rugby can translate well to flag football – the ball is similar in shape and will need the same hand eye coordination when catching and throwing it,” Nadia says.
“The endurance required to play the game translates as well…the team aspect and understanding schemes and coverages also translates.”
Nadia says the visit is fundamentally to create awareness of the game, along with opportunities and pathways accessible through the sport.
“It is very important to USA Football that we are growing the sport globally, and it is extremely important to be stewards of the game and make sure all parts of the globe have access to the sport.”
Following the Pacific visit, Nadia’s attention will switch to the IFAF World Championships in Düsseldorf, Germany in August, where the US Men’s and Women’s National Teams will be in action.
“With each year and each competition, we are getting closer and closer to the LA 2028 Olympics for flag football’s debut,” she says.
Contact NukualofaPD@state.gov or visit the US Embassy in Tonga for more information on the Sports Envoy program in Tonga.