If you need another reason to feel proud of calling the Rockford area home, this one comes under the stadium lights, wrapped in navy and orange, and humming with the kind of excitement that only football in January can bring.
On Saturday, Soldier Field will be hosting a historic rivalry in professional sports, and it will also make room for a moment that belongs entirely to Rockford.
A Look at the Halftime Performer for the Packers-Bears Game
Yes, the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers are meeting in a Wild Card playoff game that will kick off at 7 p.m. ET, marking the 213th time the NFL’s oldest rivals will play against each other. Despite a century-plus of competition dating back to 1921, this is only the third time these two teams have collided in the postseason.
There is something undeniably cinematic about it: the cold, the crowd, and the weight of legacy pressing down on every snap. But for Rockford residents, the most meaningful part of the night won’t come from the scoreboard. Four Rockford-area youth flag football teams will be present at Soldier Field, living out a dream that probably started on a much smaller patch of grass.
The Bears, ranking 10th in PFSN’s NFL Offense Impact Metric, have invited two 14U boys flag football teams and two middle school girls flag football teams from the Rockford Park District’s NFL FLAG program to scrimmage during halftime, turning the limelight squarely on young athletes who have earned their place there.
“Two 14U Boys Flag Football teams and two middle school girls Flag Football teams have been asked by the Chicago Bears to play a scrimmage during halftime,” a press release from the Rockford Park District read.
“The 14U Boys team, coached by Martin Hyatte, won the Chicago Bears NFL FLAG regional tournament, which debuted in Rockford last fall at the newly renovated Clarence Hicks Sports Complex. The other 14U Boys team, coached by James Wright, was the runner-up at that tournament and will also play on Saturday night.”
One of the boys’ teams, coached by Martin Hyatte, captured the Bears NFL FLAG regional championship last fall. The runner-up team, coached by James Wright, will also take part in the scrimmage.
And then there are the girls’ teams. Thanks in part to a $50,000 donation from the Bears, Rockford was able to launch a middle school girls flag football league, opening doors that did not exist for many athletes just a few years ago.
