LUSBY, Md. – Brooklyn Merritt, of Lusby, Maryland, is making huge strides in her flag football career. The 14-year-old was selected to be a part of the 15U Junior National Flag Football Team.
Merritt, who is an 8th grader at Mill Creek Middle School, started playing flag football with the Beach Buccaneers in the Spring of 2022. Her coach told her she should try out for the new travel team, Maryland DREAM, that same summer. So she did, and she made it!
Nick Ferguson is the head coach of the DREAM team and has helped Merritt improve her skills as a player.
“Coaching Brooklyn has been fun and a challenge. She is a competitor and hates to lose. She is a great dual sport athlete. She plays not only flag football but also basketball for her school and hopes to continue this going into high school,” Ferguson told The BayNet.
He says when Brooklyn first came to him for flag football, she didn’t know much about the game and relied on her own athletic ability. Now she can play any position on the field on both sides of the ball.
“As a coach, I couldn’t be more proud of her. She has a great support system with DREAM coaching staff, and most importantly her family. Looking forward to see what the future holds for her,” says Ferguson.
Besides her normal practices with DREAM, Merritt has been going to a personal trainer who works with her on her explosiveness, speed, and agility.
“The work he had me do definitely paid off when it came time for tryouts,” Merritt told The BayNet.
The tryouts for the U.S. National Team were in March. Merritt says she was nervous at first and didn’t know what to expect.
“It was a lot of fun but it was intense too. The coaches were watching everything. We did a lot of exercises, training, and played against each other.”
Merritt says her friends were so excited to hear she made it and shared their excitement by sending her texts and posting congratulations messages on social media. But her biggest fan is her mom, Jacklyn Brock.
“I’m really excited for this new journey. The sky is the limit for Brooklyn and this is only the beginning,” says Brock.
Merritt has a busy summer ahead. She has several tournaments with DREAM over the next few months that will help her prepare for her upcoming training camp. Plus, she’s still working with her personal trainer, a few days a week.
“I never thought two years ago that I would be considered for the U.S. National Junior Team. I’m grateful for the opportunity and really excited, but there is still a lot of work to be done,” says Merritt.
Merritt was one of 36 girls invited to try out for the team and one of 18 to make the team.
According to the most recent USA Football research, flag football participation among youth ages 6-17 increased 38%, with more than 1.6 million athletes in this age range playing flag football in 2023.
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