Braden River High School grad chosen to play flag football on global stage
Maddie Baehr only started playing flag football four years ago, but she has already inched closer to making her Olympic dream come true.
Baehr, a dual citizen, was recently selected to Ireland’s Women’s National Flag Football Team to play in an international friendly tournament in Amsterdam, Netherlands on May 30-31.
Ireland will compete against the Netherlands, Sweden and other teams in the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) sanctioned event.
Baehr has dreamt of being an Olympian since she was little, but said she never imagined it could be for flag football. Flag football will make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
“I’m going to be super excited to play the Netherlands in Amsterdam,” said Baehr, a Braden River High senior. “It’ll definitely be a hard competition playing on their home turf, but I’m super excited for the opportunity.”
Bradenton athlete named to Ireland national team
To get the chance to play for Ireland, Baehr became a dual citizen through her mother’s side of her family and then traveled to Dublin in late February for a tryout.
The tryout featured NFL Combine-style testing and football drills for offense and defense. She also competed in 1v1 challenges and a scrimmage.
By early March, Baehr was picked for the Irish team.
“I am really proud of my heritage and I’ve learned so much from it from going back as much as I have,” Baehr said. “And getting to see all my family and how proud they are to live there.”
Baehr said her parents were excited when it was announced that she was selected, and her mom shed a couple of tears.
“I never thought this was going to be possible, especially being able to get my citizenship and then soon after being able to get this opportunity,” Baehr said.
Flag football on global stage
Since she could walk, Baehr said she’s played soccer. It’s a sport her dad played and later coached at the college level.
And during a high school soccer game, Braden River flag football coach Amanda Porco scouted Baehr for the Pirates’ flag football team.
“I was taking a throw-in and she was like, ‘Hey, I’m excited to have you on the flag football team,’ and I was like, ‘You’re crazy,’” said Baehr, who is committed to play Division I soccer at McNeese State next year.
Baehr, a right-winger in soccer, scored six goals and had eight assists in her senior season. In flag football, she’s demonstrated her versatility playing most positions.
“I played a lot of defense here, but just this past year I’ve started playing a lot more offense,” said Baehr, who doesn’t have a finalized position for the Ireland team yet.
Baehr said she’s had Zoom calls with her teammates who are based in Ireland and Northern Ireland, which keeps the team connected before they get together ahead of the tournament.
“Maddie embodies the spirit of Irish sport — resilience, dedication, and pride in her roots,” Team Ireland head coach Alan Barnewell said in a news release. “Despite being based in the United States, she has shown exceptional commitment to traveling to Ireland to train and compete. We are excited about her future and proud to have her represent Ireland.”
Ahead of training camp, Baehr had gone to Ireland four times before trying out for the flag football team. Baehr graduated on Tuesday, and plans to head back to Ireland for a two-day training camp.
The Olympic road
Only six teams qualify for the 2028 Olympics in flag football. That qualification doesn’t begin until the World Championships in Germany in August.
This friendly tournament will test the Irish team and give them a gauge of where they stand against other European teams.
Baehr said the competition will be tough, but being an Olympian is her goal.
“I’ve wanted to be an Olympian since I was a little kid,” Baehr said. “I never knew it would be for flag football.”
Baehr isn’t the only local athlete getting selected to represent their country in flag football.
Former Braden River High and Florida State University basketball star O’Mariah Gordon was recently named to the 2026 U.S. Women’s Flag Football National Team.
