Local Spotlight: Flag Football Fanatics

This non-profit youth organization prides itself on providing a fun, safe and positive football experience for boys and girls.

Kids sports can sometimes be more than you bargain for. Schedules can become overwhelming, fees can add up quickly, coaches can be difficult and competition can be rough.

Flag Football Fanatics is different. They desire to provide an experience that soars above other sporting organizations, and they excel at it. They strive to make the sport fun for both kids as well as their parents, and to create an all-around amazing opportunity. They are also committed to helping the community, and making families feel good about becoming involved with the sport of flag football.

Southwest Ohio Parent spoke with Goey Mueller, director of Flag Football Fanatics, to learn just how his organization stands out in the world of kids sports.

How did you get started with Flag Football Fanatics?

I was a first grade teacher and always enjoyed sports and kids. I played flag football when in college. I started offering flag football tournaments for college-age students back in 2004. I decided to start offering the same product to kids in fall of 2008.

How many kids typically sign up for a football season?

In our entire organization, we have roughly 4,800 to 4,900 in fall of 2021. Between Dayton and Cincinnati, I would say we have about 2,500 kids playing.

Tell us about the charities you donate to, and how you choose which organizations to support.

We have a big event at the end of our spring season called "Champions for Charity." This event is typically played at the end of our spring season in The Horseshoe at Ohio State. This event has produced over $50,000 to charities. We have donated to Make-A-Wish, IknowIcan.org, Buddy Ball, Nellie's CatWalk 4 Kids, Children's Hospital, The Freedom Story and Rockin' Out Cancer. We try to donate to local charities.

Do you have a program in place for kiddos who might not be able to afford the fees to participate in sports?

We offer around 50 to 100 scholarships each season. A parent needs to complete our scholarship application and we approve them for reduced costs based on their information.

What is your goal with Flag Football Fanatics?

Our goal is to provide an experience unmatched. We've provided opportunities for kids to play venues such as Paul Brown Stadium, The Horseshoe at Ohio State and countless other local high school venues. We also produce highlight videos weekly on YouTube so kids can feel like they are stars. Our program continues to grow but I believe it's because of our Volunteer Coaches and Staff. I prefer people who truly care about the kids.

What else should our readers know about Flag Football Fanatics?

We offer spring, summer and fall leagues. At the end of the spring and fall seasons, we have big tournaments played at Paul Brown Stadium or The Horseshoe. We are always looking for good coaches and quality people to join our team. Any child ages 4 to 14 is eligible to join.

For more information on upcoming leagues or current programs, visit playfanatics.com.