NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Two Middle Tennessee high school students will represent their state on a national stage after being selected for the 2026 Girls Flag Football Showcase at this year’s Pro Bowl.
Ravenwood’s Peyton Barbarick and Creek Wood’s Avery Bratton are among just 32 players chosen for the showcase, with selections made by the Tennessee Titans. Both girls will play on the AFC roster.
The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association officially sanctioned girls’ flag football less than a year ago, making the students’ selection particularly notable.
“No, I literally went into it with a mindset of nobody knows really what this sport is, it’s going to be so fun. I’ll just play and do whatever,” Barbarick said.
Bratton said the selection exceeded her expectations for the sport.
“It’s something I didn’t see coming. I thought it was just going to be something that was just fun for everybody to do, but to the point that it’s coming to the Olympics, its awesome,” she said.
For Barbarick, the invitation represents new opportunities.
“I think for me it’s really exciting, and it just means a lot that they thought to reach out to us and being invited to go to these things. I’ve never been to California, so its really exciting to have new opportunities to meet new people,” she said.
Neither player has competed in flag football for longer than three years. Despite the short timeframe, Bratton has received a college offer to continue playing the sport.
“It feels good to have people recognize me, to know I’m good at what I do, I put a lot of effort forward,” Bratton said.
Barbarick helped lead her team to a state championship title.
“It gave our team a lot of confidence. Tt was so exciting because we worked so hard to get to that point,” she said.
The sport has seen a 60% increase in participation in just one year, thanks to spotlight from the NFL.
Both players said they look forward to the national experience and meeting other athletes at the showcase.
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