New Mexico teens chase world flag football dream

Qianna Abeyta, Emma Gaytan and Adalyn “Addie” Huizar, all from the Albuquerque metro area, have been invited to play in next month’s Youth Flag Football World Championships in Orlando, Florida. (And yes, duh, they’ve accepted). 

But when they step onto the Disney playing fields in Florida, they’ll be part of a team representing Mexico.

“It’s amazing,” Emma, a 12-year-old who attends Albuquerque’s Hayes Middle School, said during a team workout Saturday at Duke City Cages on 1st Street NW. “I’m so excited. I’m representing my community, too, but also my family that grew up and were raised in Mexico. So I’m also representing them.”

Mexican heritage, said James Martinez, one of the girls’ coaches, was a condition of their invitation to play for Mexico — that and, well, being really good at flag football. 

“I have some connections in Mexico,” Martinez said. “What they do is they look for girls not only that are from Mexico, currently living in Mexico, but have some sort of lineage back to Mexico.

“They knew our team (Twisted Sister, which plays in Albuquerque’s NFL Flag league) was very competitive. They knew we had a ton of talent. So they hit us up, me and my wife (Tia), and asked if we had three girls that would be interested in joining their team.”

The Martinezes sent the Mexican team organizers video of the three girls in action. 

“We gave them some background on the girls, background of the team,” James Martinez said, “and they ended up choosing them.”

Adalyn, 14, who attends school online and who plays quarterback for Twisted Sister, displayed well-honed passing skills — arm talent, as the scouts like to say — during the workout at Duke City Cages, held under shelter on Saturday because of the threatening winter weather.

Asked what she likes about playing quarterback, she said, “Just making plays, making sure everybody gets the ball. It’s fun to see my teammates happy about making touchdowns.”

Like Emma, she’s eager to represent Mexico at World Championships.

“I’m really excited,” she said. “It’s like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Qianna, 12, a student at Lincoln Middle School in Rio Rancho, plays running back and receiver on offense, corner and middle on defense. She’s been playing flag for some four years. 

What does she like about it?

“Just the sportsmanship,” she said. “The friends you can make, the opportunities you can have.”

Among those opportunities: colleges, thus far mostly small schools and junior colleges but likely Division I schools within a few years, are offering athletic scholarships for flag.

“I really want a scholarship to play in college,” said Emma, who plays center, corner, middle and receiver. She and Qianna displayed sure hands during Saturday’s workout. 

As those colleges are increasingly aware, flag football for girls is booming. 

“We started off with only eight girls,” Martinez said. “Now the league has approximately 150 girls participants.”

Out-of-state travel is nothing new for the trio, who’ve played in tournaments in Denver and Las Vegas, Nevada. But the experience of blending with new teammates, most or at least some from another country, is something new. To become part of a team, they expect to leave for Orlando three days before the competition is scheduled to start on Feb. 19. 

The three Albuquerqueans are scheduled to play on Mexico’s 13U (13 or under) team. Adalyn, 14, is eligible because she didn’t turn 14 until after Jan. 1, 2025.

PAYING FOR THE TRIP: A Go Fund Me account has been established to help with the cost of the young women’s expenses for World Championships. To contribute, go to GoFundMe.com and search for NM flag.

REGISTRATION: Albuquerque NFL Flag is accepting registrations for the spring. To register or for information, go to nflflag-nm.com.