Sunscreen, Sweat, and Sisterhood: My Flag Football Camp Experience
Let’s get something straight: by no means am I athletic. Growing up, I was always picked last in P.E.; I’m more likely to run from a ball than toward it. But after reporting on Women Raise the Game, a conference celebrating Latinas in sports, I found myself itching to get active.
I was thrilled to receive an invite to the Neutrogena Flag Football Mini Camp on December 4th. This special event, hosted by Mexican flag football star Diana Flores and Emmy-winning NFL reporter MJ Acosta-Ruiz, was an opportunity for Latinas to get their bodies moving while celebrating self-care. There, I didn’t just learn about flag football—I had the chance to break a sweat myself. (Thankfully, I went home with plenty of products to keep my face glowing afterward.)
A Flag Football Welcome at UCLA’s Training Center
When I arrived at UCLA’s training center in El Segundo, I was handed a souvenir—a sleek black-and-white football jersey, Neutrogena emblazoned on the back. After everyone had settled in, Flores and Acosta-Ruiz took the mic for opening remarks.
Acosta-Ruiz started out by sharing the event’s guiding motto: “Get your skin in the game.” She explained that, just as she and Flores are no strangers to the field, they’re no strangers to being in front of the screen. Their partnership with Neutrogena, whose products emphasize protection and look good, was all about feeling empowered to move between those two worlds with ease.
Diana Flores on What Flag Football Has Taught Her
Flores, the quarterback and captain of her team, spoke about the personal revelations flag football has inspired for her. The sport isn’t just a game to her—“It has also taught me to connect with myself and break down the stereotypes society puts on us as women, not only in sports but in life,” she shared.
“I can be whatever I want. I can be fierce on the field but sweet and delicate off the field,” she continued. Flores encouraged all of us to get comfortable with our own complexity while pursuing our passions: “Our true superpower is embracing all our facets.”
Prepping Our Skin and Stretching
Before we launched into the boot camp portion of the day, Acosta-Ruiz led us in a skincare demonstration, showing us how to apply Neutrogena’s Collagen Bank facial moisturizer with SPF 30. (Yes, you can still use it if you’re wearing a full beat—just tap it in lightly.) With our skin marked safe from potential sunburns, we were ready for some drills.
Two UCLA coaches led us in a series of exercises, from stretches to high knees to lunges. Then, they brought out agility ladders for sprinting drills. Not only did we have to tiptoe between the rungs of each ladder, but we also had to catch footballs in the process.
Drills and a Game of Rabbit Chase
I’m proud to say that I actually managed to do this multiple times. (Once, I got so amped that I ended up running away with the ball instead of tossing it back to the coach… oopsie.)
Our muscles were warmed up; our skin was armed against UV rays. We were all set to play the sport we had been hearing so much about—which, for the record, is one of the fastest-growing sports for young women today, with a 56% increase in participation within the last four years.
Rather than diving into a full game, we tried a challenge called Rabbit Chase: one player would dash across the field, cradling the ball, while another would try to steal a flag from the belt around her waist. Fellow Mitú rep Daniela Salazar and I ended up tying—a small victory.
A perfect closing with Tacos and Sunshine
We closed out the day with some scrumptious tacos—“It’s important to nourish yourselves,” the coaches and hosts reminded us. Walking off the turf rocking my jersey with my hoops, I felt a sense of stamina that would carry me throughout the rest of my afternoon.
I might not find myself joining a team anytime soon—but I’ll definitely spend more time having fun in the sun, letting the ocean breeze energize my body and soul as it blows against my face. (Wearing sunscreen, of course—always wearing sunscreen.)
