Pair of Tampa Bay flag football coaches to represent Team USA

TAMPA - For the better part of the last two decades, Matt Hernandez has been at Alonso High School helping turn the Ravens flag football team into a state powerhouse. But now, Hernandez is ready to tackle a different challenge.

"Any opportunity within this program is a tremendous honor, so I was definitely excited," Hernandez said.

This summer, Hernandez will represent not just Alonso High, but the entire country as the head coach of the Team USA U17 girls flag football team.

"It's a challenge in the fact that you know you are representing a lot," says Hernandez. "You are representing a lot of people and there are so many girls that want to be one of those athletes."

In July, Hernandez will hope to lead a team of the best high school players from around the country to gold at the Junior National Cup in Los Angeles.

Hernandez won't be heading to California alone, however, because Robinson High School head coach Josh Saunders will serve as the assistant coach on Team USA's U15 team.

"It's cool, right? You start thinking about representing the country!" Saunders said. "Especially in flag football. I'm not good at a lot of things, but flag football is something I do okay at."

But with that feeling of pride comes a feeling of pressure, also.

"Everything is pressure. It's tough because it's a different atmosphere," said Hernandez. "It's the U.S. You're representing a talented group and you always want to make sure that you're succeeding."

READ: Lennard High flag football team awards coach with scholarship to finish degree

While gold will be on both coaches' minds, so too will be the thought of representing their hometown and showing what Tampa Bay flag football coaches and players can do on the world's stage.

"I would never have envisioned it being here, but we've always worked extremely hard to represent ourselves well and we're thankful for every opportunity," said Hernandez.

The Junior International Cup, meanwhile, kicks off on July 9 and consists of teams from the United States, Canada, Japan, Panama and Mexico.

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