WESTFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — More than 350 youth flag football teams from around the world are competing in the NFL Flag Championships at Westfield’s Grand Park Sports Campus this week.

The four-day tournament runs from Thursday through Sunday. After taking place in Canton, Ohio its first two years, the event is in central Indiana for the first time.

Keith Ruzan, who coaches a team of mostly 13-year-old boys from Southern California, said the sports event is “just a good example of teaching how sports can take you all over the country. Some of these kids (will travel) from Ohio to Indiana. We’re going all over California, Vegas, Arizona. Sports is taking them everywhere.”

Ruzan says he’s pleased the event is in Central Indiana this year because there are “more things to do for the kids outside of football. We’re here to play football (but) we’re also here to make memories… We’re hoping to go swimming… Today we actually went to breakfast together at Cracker Barrel, because none of us have been there before, so just making little memories like that.”

The championships come amid an explosion in popularity for flag football, with the NFL reporting that more than 4 million youths play the sport in the U.S., a more than 50% increase since 2020. One of the likely reasons is that both boys and girls can play it.

Matt Smith, who coaches a girls’ youth football team participating in the tournament, said, “They didn’t have an opportunity before. And now they do and they’re really seizing it. They love it.”

The Flag Championships are not just impacting the athletes and coaches. Nearby restaurants are reporting a bump in customer traffic as thousands flood into the city over the course of four days.

A manager at Sushi Station said he estimated business has been up 70-80%, while John Fuller, a Team Lead at Pita Way reported a 20-30% increase at his restaurant. At Culver’s, General Manager Heather Norman said, “We have been abnormally busy on days we aren’t normally busy. We were up probably 10, 15% (Thursday. We’ve gotten team after team. The girls, the boys, all of it.”

The NFL Flag Championships continue throughout the weekend. Access to the event is free, but you do need to register in advance on the NFL’s OnePass App.

• PREVIOUS COVERAGE: More than 350 teams kick off the 2026 NFL Flag Football Championships in Westfield

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