My wife and I moved to Westerville from Phoenix a few years ago with our three kiddos. Without pause, almost everyone we say that to immediately replies, “Why?” I guess the grass is always greener somewhere else, unless you live in Arizona and there is no grass because the weeds were there first and they’re never leaving and it’s 123 degrees in September and your shoes can literally (LITERALLY) melt right off your feet. Ask me about that one some time.

Needless to say, I actually love Ohio. My wife grew up here in Westerville and moved to Tempe to go to Arizona State. She was supposed to move back here after she graduated, but we met, got married, raised a family and called Arizona home together for 13 years. 

We were a part of an incredible flag football league in Arizona. We had bounced around from league to league for years, but when we finally found this league, we knew we would never leave. Both of our boys started out in their “Recreational” division, and spent years there learning how to play and growing as athletes. Our oldest son eventually tried out for one of their “Competitive” divisions, and ended up making it. The Recreational division was perfect for our youngest son, and the Competitive division was exactly what our oldest son needed. 

Everything about the league seemed intentional, purposeful and well thought out. The league commissioner was friendly, accessible and thorough, and that seemed to trickle down into every area of the leagues. The communication was strong, the coaches and referees seemed truly invested, and it was just a great experience overall. When we decided to move to Ohio, leaving that flag football league was one of the hardest things we had to do! You’ve probably guessed it by now, but that league in Arizona… was a Gridiron league. 

When we got to Ohio, we signed our kids up for multiple flag football leagues in the first couple of years. There were quite a few options, but we couldn’t quite find what we were looking for. We even signed up for a league in Dublin, hoping it would offer a bit of what we had experienced in Arizona, but we just couldn’t find anything quite like it. So, I called Gridiron and asked what it would take to start our own league here in Westerville. 

Long story short, here we are! We launched last Spring with 131 kids in our first season, and as I type this, we’re heading into our second week of our second season and things are looking fantastic! 

But the WHY. Why start a flag football league in a city with at least three huge leagues in the same zip code? There are some good things about those leagues. A couple of them are nationwide and have thousands and thousands of kids with dozens, if not hundreds, of staff all over the country. Why bother starting a new league?

My WHY is because I have seen and experienced exactly how powerful a flag football league can be in the life of a family. That might sound a bit silly or exaggerated, but… 

• I’ve seen firsthand what it can do to increase a kid’s self esteem. 
• I’ve seen firsthand how it can create unforgettable memories for the kids and their families. 
• I’ve seen firsthand what it looks like when someone TRULY cares about the players, coaches and their families, and does everything in their power to exceed their expectations.  
• I’ve seen firsthand what it looks like when someone thinks through every single detail, obsessing about how to make it better every week and every season. 

I’ve seen firsthand what a gift a flag football league can be to a community, and that’s exactly what I want it to be for you. You deserve it, your kids deserve it, and we’re going to do everything we possibly can to provide it for you! We won’t be perfect, but we’ll sure try.  

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you and your family in this way! We’re truly honored to have you be a part of the Gridiron family.