GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – Sheboygan’s Lacey Abell is in contention for one of 12 spots on Team USA Flag Football ahead of this summer’s world championships in Finland.
The quarterback is one of 18 finalists headed to training camp later this month in Charlotte, N.C. Her football journey has humble beginnings.
“Growing up, I only played with my brother and my dad and a whole bunch of boys in the neighborhood because that’s the only people I knew that played football,” Abell said. “Now, learning that there’s a huge community of women that love to play and are phenomenal, and they’re some of the smartest players I know. It’s awesome. Definitely some of my best friends, I’ve found through football.”
Abell suited up for the Mile High Blaze of the Women’s Football Alliance, winning a championship back in 2022. The connections she made there led her to where she is today.
“Through tackle football I ended up meeting some friends who said, ‘Hey we play travel ball, do you wanna come play at these tournaments?’ Abell said. “The first time I went to one of the tournaments, there were so many teams, so many women’s teams, it was incredibly serious. There were all these people that loved football and were super good at it, and I was like, ‘What is this? I wanna get more involved in that.’”
That path culminates with USA Football National Team training camp later this month, where Lacey hopes to lock up one of 12 spots to head to Finland for the World Championships. In her spare time, she coached a high school flag football team in Colorado, where she shared her love for the sport.
“We won state last year,” Abell said. “It was one of the most exciting experiences. Honestly, it was more exciting than any win I’ve ever had. It was awesome just seeing them do their thing. It’s so much fun. You have such a good experience with your team and getting those bonds, too. It’s a phenomenal sport and there’s so many opportunities right now for especially females in the sport right now, especially flag football.”
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