The quarterback for the U.S. flag football world champion team was thrilled to find out her sport was on the program for the Los Angeles Olympics. Now, her goals include Olympic gold. 

Vanita Krouch’s phone was blowing up on the morning of 21 October. She was at a football tournament, wanted a good night’s sleep, and set her phone to not disturb as she slept. but She woke up to dozens of notifications congratulating her. Flag football had been added to the program for the LA 2028 Olympics, so Krouch could now have Olympic dreams.

“I just got goosebumps. It’s a dream that I get to be a part of, and I can dream for this. People say I'm a trailblazer to the sport, helping grow and make it visible, so to still be an active player in it. I'm living the dream right now,” Krouch said to Olympics.com.

Krouch is the quarterback for the U.S. flag football national team. She found her way to the sport after she graduated from SMU, where she played basketball for the Mustangs. Growing up in Texas, tackle football was everywhere, but as a woman, she didn’t have the same opportunities to play the game as her brothers did.

Flag opened that door. It started with recreational leagues, and then she realized flag football was a way she could push herself to so much more.

"I think the reason why I felt so like, oh my gosh about the game is because it's so empowering. Yeah, it is a male-dominated sport. It just felt so empowering that myself at five-foot-five, a basketball player, I could run a route. I can just catch it. And I would do that,” she said.

From those early recreational leagues, Krouch started traveling for bigger games and better challenges. It led her to the national team, and acting as the offensive coordinator for the NFC at the NFL’s Pro Bowl flag football game. Next, she is hoping flag football will get her to the LA 2028 Olympics.

“I started out this sport because I loved it. It was new. It was challenging. I met great people. I got to travel. I got to compete. It was like I was killing three birds in one stone. Friendship, exercise and competition, right? It's all I knew my whole life. And I just enjoyed it. But then we started meeting people. So that I conquered a goal to make the USA football team, and wow, I was the first one to help us be gold medalist. So like these small little dreams keep adding up.” 

The U.S. women’s flag football team won the last two world championships, beating Panama in 2018, and Mexico in 2021. The next championship is slated for Finland in August of 2024. With the championships happening every three years, the 2027 championships will help set the stage for LA 2028. 

Krouch wants to be a part of that Olympic team, and help continue to blaze the trail for other women playing football. After helping the United States win its first two championships, her goal is simple: help the U.S. bring home its first ever Olympic gold in flag football.