More than 500 children took part in flag football camps organized by the Los Angeles Chargers in Santorini on October 16, 2026, according to the organizers. The free sessions were held at the Thira and Kamari municipal stadiums with support from the Municipality of Thira.
Coaches from the Hellenic Flag Football League and members of the Chargers delegation guided children through passing, catching, and flag-pulling drills. Flag football is a non-contact version of American football in which defenders stop the ball carrier by pulling a flag from their belt rather than tackling them.
Former NFL players Melvin Gordon, Stevan Ridley, and Greek-American linebacker Niko Koutouvides joined the activities. Koutouvides, whose family roots are in Kefalonia, played in two Super Bowls during his NFL career, appearing with the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.
Gordon, a two-time Pro Bowl running back who returned to Santorini for a second year, recalled his own introduction to football.
“I started out playing flag football, too, before I ever put on pads,” he said. “I think it’s a great foundation for understanding football.”
The organizers said participation was nearly twice that of the previous year’s camps. Members of the Chargers delegation also visited the Special Education Primary School of Fira, where they met students and distributed commemorative gifts.
The Chargers have a longstanding Greek-American connection through the Spanos family, which has owned the franchise since 1984. In 2025, the team received international marketing rights in Greece through the NFL’s Global Markets Program.
The delegation concluded its Santorini visit on October 18 with a gathering at Sandblu Santorini to watch the Chargers play the Kansas City Chiefs.
The camps introduced children to a sport that will soon be part of the Olympic Games. Flag football is scheduled to make its Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028, following its inclusion in the Olympic program in 2023.