Former New York Giants receiver Brandon London talks to flag football players during the New York Giants Flag Football Jamboree to kick off the Section 2 season on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in the CBA dome in Colonie, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Players from Shaker and Ballston Spa run through drills during the New York Giants Flag Football Jamboree to kick off the Section 2 season on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in the CBA dome in Colonie, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Players from Niskayuna run through drills during the New York Giants Flag Football Jamboree to kick off the Section 2 season on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in the CBA dome in Colonie, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Players from Saratoga and Mohonasen run through drills during the New York Giants Flag Football Jamboree to kick off the Section 2 season on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in the CBA dome in Colonie, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Players from Niskayuna and Shenendehowa run through drills during the New York Giants Flag Football Jamboree to kick off the Section 2 season on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in the CBA dome in Colonie, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Former New York Giants linebacker Jonathan Casillas talks to flag football players during the New York Giants Flag Football Jamboree to kick off the Section 2 season on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in the CBA dome in Colonie, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Former New York Giants linebacker Jonathan Casillas watches flag football players run through drills during the New York Giants Flag Football Jamboree to kick off the Section 2 season on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in the CBA dome in Colonie, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Players from Shaker and Ballston Spa run through drills during the New York Giants Flag Football Jamboree to kick off the Section 2 season on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in the CBA dome in Colonie, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Players from Saratoga and Mohonasen run through drills during the New York Giants Flag Football Jamboree to kick off the Section 2 season on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in the CBA dome in Colonie, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Players from Saratoga and Mohonasen run through drills during the New York Giants Flag Football Jamboree to kick off the Section 2 season on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in the CBA dome in Colonie, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Players from Niskayuna and Shenendehowa run through drills during the New York Giants Flag Football Jamboree to kick off the Section 2 season on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in the CBA dome in Colonie, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Players from Saratoga cheer for their teammates as they run through drills during the New York Giants Flag Football Jamboree to kick off the Section 2 season on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in the CBA dome in Colonie, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Troy flag football coach Frank Rogers speaks to players during the New York Giants Flag Football Jamboree to kick off the Section 2 season on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in the CBA dome in Colonie, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
A memento given to players during the New York Giants Flag Football Jamboree to kick off the Section 2 season on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in the CBA dome in Colonie, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Players warm up during the New York Giants Flag Football Jamboree to kick off the Section 2 season on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in the CBA dome in Colonie, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Former New York Giants receiver Brandon London gives pointers to flag football players during the New York Giants Flag Football Jamboree to kick off the Section 2 season on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in the CBA dome in Colonie, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
COLONIE — Eleanor Keough almost didn’t show up.
It took a week of nudging just to get her to try flag football. Now, the Shaker senior plans to continue playing college.
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“I guess the coaches saw something in me,” said Keough, the 2024 Section 2 Offensive Player of the Year who has committed to play soccer and flag football at Marymount University next year. “They kept badgering me to come to try out, to come to practice — and it just turned into one of my favorite things in the world.”
Her story is becoming common.
What kept Keough coming back is the same pull driving the sport’s rapid rise across Section 2 and beyond.
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The game is fast. The competition is real. And the connection between players sticks.
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That momentum was on display at the third annual Section 2 Flag Football Jamboree at CBA, where more than 200 athletes cycled through drills while New York Giants staff and alumni looked on earlier this month.
It’s showing up in the numbers, too.
Section 2 flag football launched in 2024 with 11 teams across two classifications. This spring, it’s up to 23 teams in three classes, with three sectional champions advancing to the NYSPHSAA tournament.
New York Giants community relations manager Tara Belinsky has watched that climb up close.
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“We’ve been doing this for a few years now, and the quality of play coming out of this section is making it very close to having a state champion, which is something we couldn’t say four years ago,” said Belinsky, who was a standout track and field athlete at UAlbany and was named America East Woman of the Year in 2019. “So, the future is very bright.”
The sport’s rapid growth is evident at every level. On Monday, the NFL announced it will partner with TMRW Sports to develop a professional flag football league. The launch of the league is being supported by an investment group that includes Pro Football Hall of Famers Peyton Manning, Joe Montana and Tom Brady.
Local colleges are also getting on board. This past Friday, Russell Sage opened its inaugural season against SUNY Brockport in the Capital Region’s first NCAA women’s flag football game, while teams at Union College and Bryant & Stratton are on the way.
At the high school level, the sport’s growth is also showing up in how its game play is evolving.
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New York has implemented a standardized rule book, adding live punts that can be returned off the bounce and allowing downfield blocking. Section 2 is also part of a pilot program allowing for an onside play designed to increase late-game drama.
“We’re trying to grow the game, to make it as fun, fast-paced and as exciting as possible — but as safe as we can make it,” Shaker coach and Section 2 coordinator Leigh Stevens said.
Six schools now have modified programs, with JV expansion expected next. The long-term goal is simple: a full pipeline and sustained growth.
“The more we can get girls on the fields, the better,” Stevens said.
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For Stevens, the focus now shifts back to winning. Shaker returns eight seniors and a deep junior class after a 9-5 season that ended in the Class A semifinals. That success has elevated the team’s expectations this season.
“We have aspirations to exceed that,” Stevens said. “As a team, we’ve tried to keep it as simple as possible. We’re taking one day at a time, one game at a time, trying to do everything together as a family.”
Back after missing most of last season with a knee injury, Keough is central to what comes next. In 2024 she was one of the most dynamic players in Section 2 when she threw for 2,326 yards and 33 touchdowns, and added 1,099 rushing yards and 14 scores.
More important than the numbers is what she helps represent.
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The next phase of the sport is not just about getting athletes to try it. It is keeping them in it.
“I mean, it feels amazing to be back,” Keough said. “It taught me how to support my team even when I’m not getting every snap. I think it’s given me a new viewpoint.”
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“We have what it takes to be a really great team,” she said. “It’s just a matter of putting it together.”