Yuma’s Zyah Wilson heads to NFL FLAG Championships, hopes to inspire more girls to join the game

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Local teenager Zyah Wilson is packing her bags for Canton, Ohio not for a Hall of Fame tour, but for the biggest tournament of her young career.

Wilson, a Yuma native, is heading to the NFL FLAG Championships this week, where she'll compete at the Pro Football Hall of Fame alongside her club team, HBHF.

The squad was selected to represent the Green Bay Packers in the 12U division making them one of just a few teams in the country to wear an NFL name on the national stage.

Wilson's love for the game started early. She grew up around football, her cousins played, her dad played, and Sundays were spent cheering on her favorite team, the Philadelphia Eagles. But once she tried flag football herself, she was hooked.

"I started because I just really liked playing...the rush, the adrenaline," she said. "I just started and kept going and going."

Though she got a later start than some of her teammates, Wilson quickly found her stride.

"I love competing with these girls who've played longer than me," she said. "I like the experience and the fight to get better."

Now, she's dreaming big. Wilson hopes to play in high school and eventually earn a Division I scholarship to play flag football in college, something she says should be available just like it is for athletes in soccer, softball, and other sports.

"I would love for the sport to grow...to get into more high schools and colleges, more cities," she said. "I just want it to become bigger. Girls deserve the same chance to keep playing."

With the NFL planning to bring a professional flag football team to Los Angeles and the sport's inclusion in the 2028 Summer Olympics, Wilson's timing couldn’t be better.

She credits her growth to the support she’s received from coaches and teammates, especially those with HBHF and her Phoenix-based squad representing Green Bay.

"My team welcomed me with open arms," she said. "All my coaches they've all helped me grow in different ways. I'm so grateful for this opportunity."

Wilson and her team leave Wednesday for Canton. The tournament will be streamed nationally on ESPN and other digital platforms.

As she takes the field, she hopes her journey inspires other girls in Yuma to give flag football a shot.

"Keep working, keep trying," she said. "No one can tell you that you can't do something. Don't compare yourself to boys in tackle. You are your own person at your own level. Just keep growing, because one day, you'll be the next big thing."