USA Football and GMTM are offering an opportunity for athletes interested in joining one of the fastest growing games in the world and competing against some of the best international competition. Flag football’s international popularity is skyrocketing as the fast-paced game reaches greater heights.
USA Football is seeking the best athletes to compete for our U.S. Flag Football National Teams. Whether you are new to the game of flag football or have been playing for years, USA Football provides a clear path to the top of your game.
USA Football is hosting a Digital Combine on GMTM for Adult and Junior athletes. This is a free opportunity available for athletes from all over the country, ages 12 and up. Athletes from anywhere in the country can participate in this virtual event for a chance to represent the United States. The Digital Combine is a pillar of USA Football’s talent evaluation process and will be open from August 14, 2023 through September 11, 2023.
The digital combine includes eight unique activities that will help the U.S. National Team coaches evaluate athletes. Each activity is designed so coaches get to know each athlete individually and see if they have the athleticism and skills to compete with the best flag football players in the world.
Should I participate in the Junior or Adult Digital Combine?
This year, USA Football is hosting two Digital Combines. One is for Adult athletes and the other is for Junior athletes. Athletes should enter the 2023 Digital Combine based on their age on December 31, 2024.
This means that if you’re an athlete who will be turning 18 at any time in the year 2024, your Competition Age is considered 18, and you should enter the Adult Digital Combine here.
If you’re an athlete who will be 17 or younger on December 31, 2024, you should enter the Junior Digital Combine here.
What is included in the Digital Combine?
Both the Junior and Adult Digital Combine include eight activities that athletes need to complete in order to be considered. All activities should be recorded and submitted in landscape mode.
The activities include:
- Athlete Background: Upload a highlight reel or a video of your best play, share details about your athletic journey and answer other background questions so that coaches can get to know you better.
- Stick Overhead Squat: Record a video of yourself performing the stick overhead squat from the lateral and front angles. Upload and submit the video.
- Max. Push-Ups: Record a video performing push-ups in a continuous pace for one minute (60 seconds). You may not take a break until the test is completed. Record and submit the total number of completed push-ups in one minute.
- Max. Sit Ups: Record a video performing sit ups in a continuous pace for one minute (60 seconds). You may not take a break until the test is completed. Record and submit the total number of completed sit ups in one minute.
- Standing Broad Jump: Record a video of yourself performing a standing broad jump and landing on both feet. Upload and submit the video and the distance of the furthest jump.
- Pro Agility/5-10-5 Shuttle Run: Record a video of yourself performing the 5-10-5 Shuttle Run. Upload and submit the video. If you need more details about how to properly complete a 5-10-5 shuttle run, here’s a great resource you can check out.
- 20 Yard Dash: Record a video of yourself running at the maximum speed for 20 yards. Upload and submit the video and your 20 Yard Dash time.
- 60-yard Shuttle: Record a video of yourself performing the 60-yard Shuttle Run. Upload and submit the video. If you need more details about how to properly complete a 60-yard shuttle run, you can check out more details in the activity description for Adults and Juniors.
How to Participate
Participation in the event is free for all athletes, and each activity is created so it can be recorded and performed in any space. Video submissions for each activity can be easily recorded on your phone and uploaded to the corresponding activity. Below, you can find detailed instructions on how to find the event and participate for yourself.
Follow the instructions below to learn how to start your submission:
Step 1: Log into GMTM or Sign Up to Create a New Profile
To get started with your submission, either log into your existing GMTM profile or create a new one. The process is simple and you can get started here. If you have the GMTM app, it’s even easier to find the combine and participate in the activities.
Step 2: Click a Link, Find it in the Activities Tab - or - search for it using the Search Bar on GMTM
The easiest way to find the combine is by clicking on a URL anywhere in this article. Once you sign into GMTM though, you can also search for it in the Activities dropdown menu. To access the Activities Menu, go to the homepage and hover over Activities. The dropdown menu should appear and will display the different types of activities/events on GMTM.
You can also use the Search Bar at the top of the screen from anywhere on GMTM to find the event. Just click on the Search Bar to start searching from any page on GMTM. Then, start typing to find the athlete, event, or organization you are looking for.
You can type USA Football into the search bar and then scroll down the page to see various results. You can click on the USA Football Organization page, or you can click into one of the event results to be taken directly to the combine you want to participate in. You may have to select View All Results at the bottom of the menu to find what you are looking for.
Step 3: Click the Participate button on each Activity and provide info about yourself or create a video submission
Once you find the Digital Combine you’re looking for, you can click the “Participate” button to view all of the activities you will need to complete.
After scrolling through the page, you can start any activity by clicking the “Participate” button next to each Activity.
Clicking “Participate” will take you to the Activity page. Once there, you can watch the instructional video at the top of the activity. Some of the activities will ask for a video submission from you.
Step 4: After completing the tasks in each Activity, click Submit
After you've watched the video and read the description explaining how to complete the activity, record your submission. To do this, find a place in your backyard, at your school, or at a local field to create your video submission. You can ask a friend to help record your activity using a camera phone or other equipment. For activities that require a timed metric, ask a friend to record the time on a stopwatch - or - measure it while watching the footage played in real-time.
Once you've created your video, save it on your phone or in a folder on your computer. Then find the Upload button on the Activity page and attach your video submission. You can also submit videos as YouTube or Hudl links.
Once you've attached the correct video and added any other information the Activity asks for, click Submit.
Step 5: Share your submission with your network and connect with coaches and other athletes
After you've completed each activity and finished your submission, go to your profile to check out the videos you've uploaded.
Be sure to share the experience with teammates, coaches and your community. You can copy the link to your profile or a particular video, and post it to your other social media accounts.
Get started today and see if you have what it takes to compete against the best around the world.
