Maryland teen rises to the top of flag football with eyes on 2028 Summer Olympics

For Aysia Jones-Robinson, a 16-year-old flag football player from Germantown, Maryland, losing is rarely an option.

"I have always been hungry to win," she explained.

Jones-Robinson is positioned at the forefront of a rapidly growing sport. The International Federation of America Football (IFAF) announced that there has been an increase in flag football teams at the youth, high school, and collegiate levels. The sport's upcoming debut at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles further demonstrates its popularity.

"The Olympic Games have a unique ability to inspire participation and ambition. Young athletes who see flag football featured at LA28 may be inspired to pursue opportunities to represent their country at the highest level of sport, which can encourage greater engagement, commitment and participation at grassroots level," said the International Olympic Committee in a statement to ABC News.

As the junior quarterback of the Clarksburg High School Coyotes, Jones-Robinson has led her team through multiple game shutouts and two state championships and now she is getting ready to compete on the national level after earning a coveted spot to compete in the U.S. Army Bowl this December.

There are only 20 girls chosen to participate in the Bowl.

"Knowing that I'm one of the very few people in Maryland that get the opportunity is just a brilliant blessing, and I thank God for everything that has happened to me," Jones-Robinson told ABC News.

The U.S. Army Bowl is a week-long competition in Fresno, Texas, that brings together high school football players from across the nation. The premier event is nationally televised and showcases the best male and female athletes in tackle and flag football. Compared to tackle football, flag football is a non-contact sport where players stop their opponents by pulling a flag from the ball carrier's belt instead of tackling them to the ground.

With the rise of girls' flag football teams nationally, the Bowl introduced a girls' flag football division in 2023. Athletes are selected based on their physical ability, position-specific skills, leadership, and game film. The Bowl receives about 10,000 applications every year, which are evaluated by their national scouting staff to uphold rigorous standards.

"Aysia is one of the most talented athletes I've had the opportunity to coach, and I'm incredibly proud to see her recognized as a U.S. Army All-American," said Coach Isaac Williams, the founder and CEO of Matrix Sports Academy, where Jones-Robinson plays for a travel flag football team. Williams nominated her for the U.S. Army Bowl.

"This honor reflects the countless hours she's spent developing her game and competing against some of the best athletes in the country," Williams added.

The Bowl is a major stepping stone for future football stars. Many U.S. Army All-Americans have gone on to make football history at the collegiate and professional level, including NFL stars like Adrian Peterson and Odell Beckham Jr.

Competitors in girls' flag football this year will be strong contenders for the 2028 L.A. Olympics.

"Flag football's inclusion in the Olympic Games is a game changer for our sport, creating unprecedented pathways and role models -- especially for the women and girls who are driving the fastest participation growth around the world," explained Pierre Trochet, president of the IFAF, in a written statement to ABC News.

"It's a huge opportunity to reach and engage a generation of new players and fans, and to accelerate female representation in American football as a whole," Trochet added.

Jones-Robinson was invited to try out for the USA team for her age group next year. "Everybody doesn't get this opportunity and I've worked so hard to get this opportunity. It just shows that hard work pays off," she explained. She said that devotion to football derives from her family who have all played the sport. Her mother plays recreational flag football, and her father and brother both played high school tackle football.

"I wouldn't know who I would be without my family if they weren't pushing me to go to tryouts and pushing me to work out all the time," Jones-Robinson said. "They're always there, regardless if it's two people in the stands. I can always count on my mom, dad, or brother being there."

She said that she began playing flag football at a young age in i9 Sports, a nationwide franchise of youth sports leagues from ages 3 to 14, often outrunning everybody on the field.

"I think I was just born to play sports. That's my calling," she added.

Now, she is a multi-sport athlete, competing in basketball and flag football at her high school.

With more high school and college programs for women's flag football being established in the United States, prospects for young girls like Jones-Robinson appear to be expanding.

"I feel like it's a great opportunity to see more colleges getting it. I'm just happy that women get an opportunity to present themselves," she said.

She added, "I've had so many people reach out to me saying, 'Hey, could you give my daughter a workout?'" she said. "To know that people even know who I am at my young age is so inspiring."

While American football has historically been a sport dominated by men, Jones-Robinson said her message for other girls is, "you can do anything you put your mind to."

"Don't ever let nobody tell you that you can't do anything," she said.

ABC News' Deena Zaru contributed to this story.