Finland’s national flag football teams will organize open combine events across the country during the spring. The events will identify Finland’s most promising athletes by evaluating their sport-specific skills and physical capabilities. All participants will be given the opportunity to compete for a place in the national team pool and represent Finland in major international competitions.

The Team LA project, which is aiming for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, will truly kick off in March. The national flag football teams will host open combine testing events for all athletes around Finland. So far, four events have been confirmed (Tampere, Jyväskylä, Vantaa, and Helsinki). Registration links can be found below the original article.

The central goal of the Team LA initiative is to provide Finnish elite athletes with a realistic opportunity to participate in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where flag football will be included as an Olympic sport. This requires identifying promising athletes from various sporting backgrounds and supporting their long-term development.

Individual development pathways will be created for athletes, taking into account their sport-specific skills, physical condition, and mental coaching needs. The aim is to support athletes’ commitment and continuous improvement also outside major championship seasons.

“We are convinced that top athletes from flag football, American football, and other sports will be inspired by a project targeting the Olympics. An unprecedented support structure is being built in the sport to help athletes develop themselves, benefiting everyone involved. Competitive readiness is built during the winter, and developing speed and agility — alongside sport-specific skills — will continue to be the top priorities when competing for a place in the Team LA player pathway pool,” say Juuso Marno and Tuomas Kivisaari from the Team LA project steering group.