Source: US Embassy Suva
The US Embassy Suva, in partnership with the US Department of State’s Sports Diplomacy Division and USA Football, is proud to bring two elite American flag football coaches to Fiji as Sports Envoys for an exciting week of flag football programming in Fiji.
From August 10-15, Sports Envoys Joshua Saunders and Nadia Bibbs will lead youth flag football clinics and train coaches to introduce the fast-growing global sport of American flag football to public schools in Suva and Nadi.
During the program, the envoys will work closely with teachers and coaches to augment their existing knowledge with the skills needed to sustain flag football’s growth in Fiji. Students will learn the exciting sport of flag football that is spreading across the Pacific with the support of US embassies, USA Football, and the National Football League.
The Department of State selected two premier representatives from USA Football to lead this year’s regional exchange, which began with a week of flag football programming in Tonga hosted by US Embassy Nuku’alofa.
Nadia Bibbs is an elite world champion who won silver and gold medals as a player on the US Women’s Flag National Team in 2021 and 2022.
She now serves as the Assistant Coach for the US 17U Girls’ National Team, while balancing a career as a software engineer for a trading firm.
Joshua Saunders is the Head Coach of USA Football’s US 17U Girls’ National Team and has won gold medals at both the 15U and 17U international levels.
He has built a powerhouse flag football program at Robinson High School, while also serving as a full-time calculus teacher.
On the Sports Envoy Program, US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Christina Cavallo says sports teach young people about teamwork, hard work, discipline, strategic thinking, and perseverance.
“Sports teach us that even when you get knocked down, you get back up again and try again,” she says.
“So, when we teach flag football in Fijian schools, we are not just sharing a beloved American sport, we are also instilling values that both Americans and Fijians deeply cherish.”
As flag football builds momentum ahead of its historic Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Games, this program highlights the power of sports to bring people together.
The sport is growing in global popularity with over 20 million active players in 100 countries around the world.
The US Embassy Suva has been actively promoting American football, especially flag football, in Fiji over the past year.
Major milestones in this effort include a public watch party for the Super Bowl (February), support for the National Football League’s first outreach trip to Fiji (February), and flag football at Olympic Day celebrations in partnership with the Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (June).
Follow @USEmbassySuva on Facebook, X, and Instagram for more updates on flag football in Fiji.