Flag Football

Ashlea Klam: My Parents Gave Me the Opportunity

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by Team USA

(L-R) Amber, Ashlea and Jason Klam pose for a photo together.
(L-R) Peyton and Ashlea Klam pose for a photo together.
A family’s support turned one girl’s dream into a pathway for the next generation. 
I saw my brother playing, and I'm a very competitive person. Anytime my brother was doing anything, I wanted to do it, as well. I wanted to be better than him at it.
Ashlea Klam
(L-R) Jason, Ashlea and Amber Klam pose for a photo together.
Recognizing the limited opportunities available for young girls in flag football at the time, Amber and Jason Klam started an all-girls competitive team in Texas for their daughter, Ashlea. 
The reason I was able to play flag football was because my parents gave me the opportunity to do so. They wanted to give that same exact opportunity to all of the younger girls in Texas.
Ashlea Klam
(L-R) Amber and Ashlea Klam pose for a photo together.
What started with 10 girls became a movement. 
There's probably 15 to 18 teams across Texas. ... All of the work and the reason why Texas Fury is what Texas Fury is, is because of how hard my mom pushed behind the scenes.
Ashlea Klam
Ashlea Klam receiving the ball during a match.
In 2024, Ashlea Klam won gold at the IFAF World Championships with Team USA. 
She pushed me so that I could be the best and that I could be where I'm at today. It wasn't only me who won that gold medal. It was also her.
Ashlea Klam
Ashlea Klam flexing for the photo.
All the sacrifices point toward one dream: the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028. 
Every time that I am exhausted, they are the reasons why I've pushed through. And so being able to potentially look up to my parents in the stands at the LA28 Olympics, that's my why.
Ashlea Klam
(L-R) Ashlea and Amber Klam pose for a photo together.
What Amber Klam built for her daughter is now shaping the next generation of girls in flag football across the country. 
My mom, she is fully a pioneer of this sport.
Ashlea Klam