EAGAN, Minn. — Talia Vescio threw 65 touchdown passes this past flag football season.

On Tuesday, she helped pint-sized flag players learn how to throw the pigskin.

"Especially the really young ones, they don't know how to throw yet, and I show them, 'The biggest key is putting your fingers right on the laces of the football, and then it's going to help give you some power, some grip on it,' " Vescio explained. "I just love seeing their faces brighten [when they get it] and then going back and forth, playing catch, it's so great."

Vescio and her Rosemount High School teammates helped lead a girls flag football clinic hosted by the Vikings and Hy-Vee at TCO Stadium. More than 250 young ladies participated in the free event and will each receive a pair of tickets to a Vikings regular-season game.

"At Hy-Vee, we believe in giving every young person a chance to live a life that is easier, healthier and happier," said Matt Nickell, Assistant Vice President of Sports Marketing and Community for Hy-Vee. "These clinics are a great place for girls to grow, to compete and to have fun, and we're so proud to support them."

The young athletes received detailed coaching on footwork, body control, passing, catching and other skills.

Among the coaches was former Vikings safety Mistral Raymond, who as a father of three young daughters appreciates the sport's continued expansion.

"I love this community. I love the state of Minnesota," Raymond said. "And this is special because I have daughters who love sports, love football, and they all want to be a part of it. I'm just excited.

"The evolution is no longer 'our claim to fame.' It's for everyone," Raymond added. "I think it should be all-inclusive. At the end of the day, it's a game, and it should be fun — and fun for everyone."

Liv Owusu, who graduated from Rosemount this spring, thrived in her first season playing flag football after previously focusing mainly on basketball. She also enjoyed connecting with young athletes during the clinic and encouraging them as they get their feet wet in the sport.

"It was fun to see them get really into it and have fun with their friends," Owusu said.

Vikings Director of Youth & High School Football Joe Rush emphasized the rapidly growing interest in girls flag football at all levels.

"We're really seeing the next generation of girls and women athletes that will take the field at those levels in the coming years," Rush said. "So we're focused on developing skills at an earlier level, increasing our talent and skill level at a younger age, and really just creating feeder systems and pipelines for girls to see themselves in the sport long-term."

Natasha and Marcus Thomas are witnessing just that with their 6-year-old daughter Alyce, who's shown an interest in football from an incredibly young age. Though mom and dad are originally from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and have been fans of the Lions and Bears respectively, Alyce and her older brother were born in Minnesota and are dedicated Vikings supporters.

"She's always watched football with me, and she's always loved it," Marcus said. "It's just nice seeing the opportunities increase for girls. We're looking around, we see the 'Her Time Is Now' messaging [on the videoboard], and I think that's awesome. I love seeing that. It makes me happy that my daughter has an opportunity that a lot of girls haven't in my lifetime."

Tuesday's football clinic was Alyce's second in less than a week, as she participated in one Saturday hosted by former Vikings fullback C.J. Ham in Duluth.

"We love how focused the NFL is on building girls flag football," Natasha said, "and it's so cool to see these [camps and clinics] popping up focused on girls sports. Out of our two kids, Alyce is honestly the one who would probably even play tackle football."

The Thomases proudly watched Alyce shuffle through a ladder drill and work on ball security.

"We haven't really shown her much, and she just looks like she's having such a good time and running well with the football, holding it well," Marcus said, smiling. "It's just impressive to see. She might have a knack for this, and we didn't know. This is an awesome opportunity."

Natasha added the impact of Alyce and other young athletes being encouraged and coached up by Vescio, Owusu and the rest of the Rosemount team that captured the 2026 Minnesota state title in June.

Vescio completed seven touchdown passes in the 45-12 win over Rogers; she finished the game with 309 passing yards, bringing her season total to 2,638 yards. Vescio helped lead the Irish to a perfect 14-0 season en route to being named the All-Minnesota Girls Flag Football Player of the Year.

After the conclusion of the football clinic, Vescio and her teammates visited the Minnesota Vikings Museum to see the updated girls flag display recognizing Rosemount as the 2026 champions. They later attended the Vikings walk-through session and were greeted afterward by Owner/President Mark Wilf and Head Coach Kevin O'Connell.

"I've mentioned how important girls flag football is to us as an organization," O'Connell said. "I have two daughters, and they'll be here today at training camp. You see them around, maybe show them a few pointers. You all are setting the standard and setting the bar high for many, many girls that want to grow up and play football just like you did. What an experience. What an honor."

Wilf also congratulated the young women, then turned to Vescio.

"Talia, on behalf of the Minnesota Vikings, congratulations on all your success, and all your teammates', and in honor of all the incredible female flag participants that deserve to have it as a sanctioned sport here in Minnesota," Wilf said, "we on behalf of the Vikings organization want to ask you to sound our Gjallarhorn for our first preseason game against the Ravens. Can you do that for us?"

Vescio looked shocked for just a moment, then a smile spread across her face.

"Of course. I would love to," she said. "That's awesome!"

As Vescio looks ahead to a special Vikings moment and then her senior season at Rosemount, she's deeply grateful for what the sport of football has meant in her life.

"My dad loves watching football, so I did a lot of that growing up and just found a love for it. That's how it grew for me," Vescio said. "I wanted to be around it more. I went to some Vikings games as a kid and felt like I was truly in the sport — and it just grew from there.

"It would be incredible to get girls flag sanctioned as a high school sport in Minnesota," she added. "Knowing the support that we have behind us, seeing that happen would be, I mean, it's just a dream. … That's the top thing we've wanted for girls flag — to make it an official sport so everyone knows about it."

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