The Bears recently concluded the second year of their Monsters Flag Football program, which provides boys and girls, typically ages 11-17, an opportunity to learn and develop flag football skills through 90-minute training sessions.

Sponsored by Invisalign, the program grew exponentially in its second year as the Bears hosted 25 clinics for more than 2,600 students, compared to 20 clinics for 1,500 students in the program's inaugural year.

"Monsters Flag is a great catalyst for middle schools and high schools interested in starting flag football teams at their schools," director of youth football Gustavo Silva said. "The clinics provide evidence that the students are interested and excited about the sport. Monsters Flag demonstrates that we are committed to growing flag football beyond just getting girls flag sanctioned at the high school level. There are still thousands of kids who can enjoy and benefit from the game, and we're thrilled to see the interest continue to rise."

Monsters Flag Football originated as an extension of the Bears' Mini Monsters program, which has been a staple in the Chicagoland community for nearly nine years by introducing football and the importance of a healthy lifestyle to kids ages 7-12.

For older kids, including those who have never played the sport as well as current flag football players, Monsters Flag Football sessions are designed to be skill-based, which in turn allows players to hone in on fundamentals and technique.

An increased demand for these clinics throughout Illinois also resulted in more appearances from both current and former Bears. From the current roster, receiver Rome Odunze, running back Roschon Johnson and the entire 2025 rookie class all helped lead various clinics during the year.

"It was a good experience to be able to go out there and just see them run around and enjoy the sport," Odunze said. "Obviously, the sport means a lot to me, and I like how much flag football is progressing. I'm super, super glad I got to go out there, and I feel like they had a great time."

Involvement from fan favorites such as Odunze creates an even deeper interest from students in becoming involved in flag football. Silva noted the clinic the receiver attended in Round Lake as one of the most memorable moments of the Monsters Flag Football program.

"The clinic at Magee Middle School with Rome was a highlight of the program because of the excitement and energy from students, teachers and community members," Silva said. "It was also memorable because the Round Lake High School girls flag team volunteered to run the drills with us. It was cool to see the girls pay it forward."

Silva has also seen the kids gravitate towards alumni such as Charles Tillman, Jason McKie, Wendell Davis, Henry Melton, Jim Schwantz and Kaseem Sinceno. While the group of former Bears players also often helps with Mini Monsters clinics, the Monsters Flag Football program has allowed them to really coach the kids and utilize their own skills to help teach the sport. Silva even remembers Tillman teaching his famous "Peanut Punch" to a group of young athletes this summer.

With the Bears at the forefront of high school girls flag football in Illinois, including helping the sport become IHSA-sanctioned two years ago, they are now aiming for the same level of growth and interest in flag football at the youth and middle school levels. And with the sport now being offered at the collegiate level, local universities, including Illinois Wesleyan, are utilizing Monsters Flag Football clinics as a way to host and evaluate talent on their campuses before the recruiting process.

While Monsters Flag Football helps provide access to new opportunities at the high school and college levels, the program is still rooted in being a safe, fun space for young athletes to learn and grow. For Bears youth and high school football coordinator Leonard Smith, who helps lead all the clinics alongside Silva, watching kids go from timid to confident in just 90 minutes is the ultimate payoff.

"The most memorable moments for me from Monsters Flag this year were the smiles, energy and growth from every single clinic," Smith said. "I was able to witness kids find their voice in the sport after gaining confidence rep after rep.

"Multiple players have expressed to me things like, 'I feel like I belong here in the sport,' or 'I want to keep playing flag football and get better at it,' or 'today's clinic made me love the game more.'"