This week, we feature Ty Johnson, assistant director of sports performance and head coach of our new girls flag football team, coming fall 2020. Ty strives to make the world of sports and the Pace weight room inclusive and accessible to everyone. A native of North Carolina, Ty attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. Ty currently plays for the U.S. Women’s Flag Football National Team. 

Q: When did you start playing flag football, and how did your interest transition into earning a spot on the WFFN U.S. National Team?

I started playing co-ed flag football in an intramural league with friends in college. Once I graduated I wanted to continue

competing and being physically active, so I joined co-ed leagues in Charlotte, N.C. When I moved to Atlanta, I joined a co-ed league here. It was in Atlanta where I was "recruited" from the co-ed flag football league to play in an all-women's league that played 8 vs. 8, contact-style flag football (this is different than the GHSA teams). This league is where I really learned the game and worked on getting better at my weaknesses. I then continued playing all styles of flag football in tournaments with folks from Charlotte as well as with my teams from Atlanta. By gaining more recognition from the games in these tournaments, I landed a spot on the WFFN USA Travel team and was able to play the sport I love all over the world.

Q: Pace is forming a girls flag football team as we speak. What advice do you have for any interested girl in grades nine through 12?

My advice would be to throw out all the stereotypes and barriers that are placed against women in the football world. Our time is now, and we must continue to change the narrative and to create history with this interscholastic program. Don't be afraid of the opportunity.

Q: How do you prepare mentally for a flag football game? What routines or repeated decisions do you follow to ensure that you are game ready?

Nerves are inevitable for me, so I combat them by remembering Kobe Bryant's “Mamba Mentality.” It's all about focusing on the process and trusting in the hard work when it matters most. I make sure that I calm my nerves by reminding myself of two things: I am prepared and I have worked for this moment. I have a very specific warm-up routine that consists of band movements, band stretches, mobility movements and getting my hands ready for the game.

Q: Please share a memorable flag football memory. Why has this remained in the forefront of your mind all these years?

I have so many great flag football memories—from winning a big charity tournament with my Atlanta team to winning back-to-back national championships with my Charlotte crew. The memory that sticks with me the most, however, is the surreal moment when I stepped on the field in Puerto Rico for my first tournament with the WFNN USA travel team. The idea that the sport of flag football brought a small girl like me to Puerto Rico to play this game of football made me realize that the sport was growing and earning the respect that so many women have been pursuing for years. The number of women now coaching in the NFL, college and semi-professional levels prove women have a place in football, even me. It is not by mistake that it is my turn to give back by coaching Pace Academy's inaugural girls flag football team. What an opportunity.

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Want to learn more about girls flag football at the Upper School level? Find more information here.