When Vanita Krouch got the news that she was named NFC defensive coordinator for the 2023 Pro Bowl Games, featuring the first-ever AFC vs. NFC Flag football games on Sunday, the U.S. Womenâs National Flag Football team quarterback admits her jaw nearly hit the ground.
And then she realized something even more profound.
âFor the longest time, thinking about the moment, everything, youâre like, âOh, my gosh, this is a dream come true. Is this really happening?ââ said the 42-year-old Krouch, known as the âTom Brady of flag footballâ with a 19-1 record as USAâs starting quarterback in international tournaments since 2018.
âBut then I started thinking to myself: You know what? None of us grew up thinking of this as a dream to obtain. So really, itâs kind of reversed where Iâm living a dream. I get to be a pioneer in this growth of flag football for all and inclusion for all, youth and adults, [women and men]. Itâs such an inclusive sport, and I get to be a part of this growth and still actively play. Itâs exciting. Iâm literally living the dream. Iâm very much like, âGuys, donât pinch me. Let me keep sleeping.ââ
Organized in partnership with RCX Sports, the NFLâs flag football operating partner, and the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), Sundayâs Pro Bowl event will feature three 7-on-7 AFC vs. NFC flag games. Each game will be 20 minutes in length (two halves) and played on a 50-yard field with 10-yard end zones. Krouch will be joined by Eli Manning as NFC head coach and DeMarcus Ware as NFC defensive coordinator. On the AFC side, Mexico Womenâs National Flag Football quarterback Diana Flores will serve as offensive coordinator, with Peyton Manning as head coach and Ray Lewis as defensive coordinator.
But Krouchâs journey to the Pro Bowl stage began under the unlikeliest of circumstances and was inspired by her own family odyssey, which began in Cambodia during the horrific regime of the Khmer Rouge in the late 1970s. Krouchâs mother, Phonnary Krouch, fled the country with three young sons in tow, running by night and hiding by day to escape, finding safety initially at a refugee camp in the Philippines. Thatâs where she welcomed Vanita, in September 1980, and two months later the family made its way to the United States. Krouchâs father exited the picture upon their arrival in America, leaving Phonnary to raise four children alone.
âIn a nutshell, my mom is an amazing woman,â said Krouch, who first found sports via an elementary school flyer advertising youth soccer in Carrollton, Texas. âOn the journey, she had a lot of trials, tribulations, ⌠and after our dad left us, it was just mom and four kids in this little one-bedroom apartment. So, it was a challenge. Iâm just so amazed by her strength and will to never give up.â
She also credits her mom for standing up to then-stereotypical notions that Asian girls should not play sports.
âIâm just thankful, honestly, that my mom allowed me to break the Asian culture barriers of a woman playing sports because thatâs not easy,â she said. âShe faced a lot of backlash from the community. But she said, âHey, my childâs making good grades. Sheâs healthy, sheâs good. Sheâs staying off the streets. I donât see a problem.â And she just let me do it. I was just lucky to have a mom that let me spread my wings.â
Krouch also had a few mentors along the way. Her elementary school PE teacher, Toni Neibes, stepped in to pay for those initial soccer fees and continued her support as Krouch transitioned to basketball in the fourth grade. She fell in love with the sport and excelled at it as well, eventually earning a full scholarship to play college basketball at Southern Methodist University. She wears the No. 4 to this day in honor of Niebes, who wore the same number as a young athlete. She also credits her fourth-grade teacher, Judy Ward, as having a lasting impact after the teacher made a habit out of showing up for her youth basketball games.
She pays tribute to them both through her clothing line, 4Ward Apparel, which features ever-changing collections emblazoned with relevant slogans encouraging female empowerment, inclusion and her personal mantra of âpaying it forwardâ â something she does with the line itself. Each month, Krouch donates a portion of the sales to individuals, families or organizations in need.
After graduating SMU in 2003, Krouch continued to play basketball in semi-pro and adult leagues, but she was still searching for something to satisfy her competitive drive. She and a former college teammate stumbled on flag football during a Google search for local Dallas-area activities, and the rest â as they say â is history.
âIt was like I drank the Kool Aid and I never looked back,â she says of her start in flag in 2006. âItâs just like every game, every play is a new challenge, and itâs addictive for a competitor, so I just fell in love with flag. I actually think Iâm way better at flag than I was at basketball.â
She moved into the quarterback position through some sly maneuvering by current USA Womenâs Flag Football head coach Chris Lankford. They were playing together in a local tournament when he âtrickedâ her into the QB position, despite Krouch knowing âzero football language.â
âOne day I showed up for a tournament and I asked, âAll right, guys, whoâs our quarterback?â And he says, âWeâre looking at her,ââ she remembers. They kept the plays simple, and her team made it to the playoffs that season. Krouch has been a QB ever since.
Krouch joined the national team in 2016 and was inducted into the National Flag and Touch Football Hall Fame that same year. Last year at the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, a 41-year-old Krouch set a new mark as the oldest Flag football player, man or woman, in the games, and she ranked second among women with 25 touchdown passes at the tournament where USA won silver.
She aims to bring that expertise to the field at the Pro Bowl games, where sheâs looking forward to seeing NFL players take on the flag football style type of plays. âFlag is a very finesse, quick game, a lot of footwork, and these guys canât grab or hold, no downfield contact or downfield block or anything off the line,â she explains. âSo itâs going to be exciting just to see skill for skill, footwork for footwork, defense to offense, and to see flag football language with those type of elite athletes.â
As for the biggest challenge, Krouch believes it will be crafting a concise playbook and language that puts everyone on the same page. âA challenge for me is getting a coachâs mindset,â she adds, âI have to actually come up with plays ahead of time and I donât usually have premeditated plays in my head. I just read it so for me to tell Kirk Cousins or Geno Smith [what to do], it will be different, you know?â
But beyond the Pro Bowl, Krouch is excited that flag is being considered for inclusion as an exhibition sport in the 2028 Summer Olympics. While sheâs keeping a hopeful eye on that development, sheâs also working to shape the next generation of potential athletes as a physical education teacher at La Villita Elementary in Irving, Texas.
âItâs an honor to be a role model â for other youth flag football players, for my students, both boys and girls,â says Krouch. âThen at my campus and in my community, itâs amazing to be able to break the barrier of like, âAsian women canât do this.â And then to be at my age, still doing this, I feel very lucky and blessed. âŚI think I still got some years in me.â
As for what she hopes viewers and fans walk away with after watching the Pro Bowl flag games this weekend, Krouch feels confident folks will walk away enlightened by the show.
âI just hope that they have fun with it,â says Krouch. âAnd for those who donât know flag to be like, âWow, thatâs really amazing. Maybe thatâs something I really can get my son or daughter into at a young age.â So I just hope that they see that the sport is real â itâs not just something we play at recess. Itâs a real thing now. I think theyâll see that the world loves it, the world can play it and is playing it.â
Be sure to check back with On Her Turf later this week when we catch up with AFC coordinator and Mexico Womenâs National Flag Football Team quarterback Diana Flores. Â