From Tennis to Touchdowns: How Marie Stanescu Built McGill’s Women’s Flag Football Program

Marie Stanescu never planned to become a flag football pioneer. In 2018, when she was only in grade eight at Collège Trinité, she didn't even know what flag football was when her friends convinced her to try out for the team. Six years later, she's co-founding McGill University's flag football program, coaching the next generation, and helping pave the way for women's flag football in Quebec.

An Accidental Beginning

"In my second year of high school at Collège Trinité in 2018, I was surrounded by friends who were all talking about signing up for flag football," Stanescu recalls. "At the time, I honestly had no idea what flag football even was. I had never seen a game or really heard much about it."

The decision to try out was purely social. "All I knew was that my friends wanted to try out, and they convinced me to join them so that we could all play together. I figured it would be fun to be part of the same team, so I decided to give it a shot and signed up for the tryouts."

To her surprise, she made the team. But nothing could have prepared her for that first game experience. "I still remember the feeling before my very first game, nervous but excited because I didn't really know what to expect. I had never watched a flag football game in my life, so I was going in blind. All I understood at that point was the basic idea: if the ball came to me, I had to catch it and run as fast as I could toward the end zone to score a touchdown."

(#32 - Flag football - Collège Trinité 2018)

Her first practice remains vivid in her memory, though admittedly simple. "Yes, it was at my high school's field, we did simple flag-football drills, but all I could remember was that I was given the running back position because I was fast."

It was a moment that would define her early flag football identity—coaches immediately recognized her tennis-honed speed and placed her in a position where she could simply take the ball and run. The simplicity of that first practice did not reflect how complex the sport would become as she learned its nuances, but it gave her an immediate role she could understand and execute.

The Tennis Foundation

Growing up, tennis had been Stanescu's world. "My main sport was tennis, and it has always been a huge part of my life. I started playing at a young age and have continued with it over the years, to the point where I now compete on the McGill tennis team. Because of that, I wouldn't say football was ever really on my radar when I was younger; I was much more focused on tennis and the discipline it gave me."

(Tennis-Jeux du Québec 2019)

But as she dove deeper into flag football, she realized how perfectly her tennis background had prepared her for success on the gridiron. "Looking back, though, I realize how much tennis actually shaped me into the kind of athlete I am today, and how many of those skills transferred directly into flag football. For example, tennis really developed my footwork, agility, and explosiveness, which are all crucial on the football field when you're trying to cut, change direction quickly, or sprint into open space. The hand-eye coordination I built from hours of hitting tennis balls also gave me an advantage in catching passes."

Tennis remains central to her athletic identity—she continues competing on McGill's tennis team and coaches the sport. In 2022, she made the Team Quebec U20 flag football team, though the team was ultimately cancelled. Her dual-sport excellence reached new heights in 2023 when she helped Champlain qualify for Collegiate Nationals in Montreal, where they finished as the second-best CEGEP in Québec at the qualifications and upset the top-ranked team in Quebec!

(Tennis Tournament 2023)

Learning to Be a Teammate

For someone accustomed to the individual nature of tennis, flag football presented unique challenges that went beyond physical skills.

"For me, the biggest adjustment wasn't necessarily physical, but more about learning to have teammates, because tennis is an individual sport," Stanescu explains. "In flag football, everything happens so fast, and the success of a play really depends on everyone being in sync. Coming from my previous sport, I had to adapt to new strategies and learn how to read the game differently."

This transition taught her something that would become central to her philosophy as both a player and leader. "I put a lot of emphasis on chemistry outside the field. I really believe that what happens off the field directly translates into how well we perform on it. Building bonds with my teammates, spending time together, and creating that trust is just as important to me as what we do in practices or games."

The Mental Game and Supportive Leadership

Stanescu's development as a leader was shaped by crucial advice from her coach at Champlain. "The best advice came from my coach, Alexandre David, at Champlain. He told me to always step onto the field thinking you're going to win, no matter the opponent. That mindset completely changed the way I play, because confidence is everything in flag football."

But perhaps what defines her most as a teammate is how she handles the inevitable struggles that occur during games. When teammates are having rough moments, Stanescu has developed a clear approach rooted in forward-thinking resilience.

"I try to remind them to let go of what's already done and focus on the next play," she explains. "Mistakes happen, but the game keeps moving, so it's all about shifting your energy forward instead of dwelling on the past."

This philosophy of moving forward rather than dwelling on errors reflects both her tennis background—where each point is independent—and her understanding that flag football's fast pace demands mental agility as much as physical skill. It's become a cornerstone of her leadership style, helping teammates maintain confidence even when plays don't go as planned.

Building McGill from Scratch

When Stanescu and teammate Eloise Lefebvre arrived at McGill University in August 2024, they faced an unexpected reality. "Eloise Lefebvre and I started the McGill program together in August 2024. We had played at Champlain before, and when we both got into McGill, we were shocked that there wasn't already a team. We love the sport so much that we decided to just build the program ourselves."

The task of creating a university program from nothing might seem daunting, but Stanescu and her teammates are approaching it with patience and determination. "Even though we're still a new program, the culture is really exciting. We have so much talent, with girls coming from some of the best CEGEP programs. Right now, it's about building chemistry, timing, and learning each other's playing styles. There's a strong sense of patience and determination; we know we deserve our place in the league, and we're putting in the work to earn it."

Their ultimate goal is clear: gaining acceptance into the RSEQ league. "We really want to be the 8th university in the league, but we also know it's a process. Even if it doesn't happen while I'm still a student, just knowing that we've laid the foundation for future players to compete at that level would be incredibly rewarding."

The potential acceptance into RSEQ represents more than just competitive opportunities. "It would mean everything," Stanescu says simply.

Witnessing Sport's Evolution

Having entered flag football when opportunities for women were limited, Stanescu has a front-row seat to the sport's remarkable growth. "The evolution has been crazy. When I started, the opportunities were so limited. Now, you see girls as young as 12 or 13 already having role models, development camps, and the chance to dream about playing at the university level or even in the Olympics. The growth is inspiring."

The upcoming inclusion of flag football in the 2028 Olympics has particularly energized the sport, providing young female athletes with unprecedented visibility and aspirational goals that simply didn't exist when Stanescu started playing.

Giving Back to the Next Generation

Stanescu's commitment to developing young athletes extends beyond her own playing career. 

"I coach flag-football at my old high school Collège Trinité and love inspiring young girls," she says, embodying the cycle of mentorship that drives sports growth. Her coaching philosophy mirrors her playing approach, emphasizing both skill development and the relationships that make flag football special.

Her advice to young players is both practical and passionate: "Take as many reps as you can, ask questions, be coachable, and put in extra work with your teammates. Flag football is a sport where effort and dedication really pay off, and the relationships you build along the way make it even more special."

Legacy in the Making

Even as she continues competing at McGill and coaching at Trinité, Stanescu is already thinking about her lasting impact on women's flag football. Her vision extends far beyond her own playing career.

"I want to leave behind the message that we started something at McGill for future generations," she reflects. "Even if I don't get to play varsity before I graduate, I'll be proud knowing I helped create a program that will live on after me. If young girls get to wear a McGill jersey in the RSEQ one day, I'll know that all the work was worth it."

It's a perspective that captures the essence of what building something from scratch really means—understanding that the foundation you lay today determines what's possible for those who come after you.

From a high school student who followed her friends to tryouts without knowing what flag football was, to a program founder laying groundwork for future generations, Marie Stanescu's journey embodies both the growth of women's flag football and the power of unexpected paths. Her story proves that sometimes the most meaningful contributions come from ventures we never planned to pursue—and that the impact of building something lasting extends far beyond our own participation in it.