On February 10, 2024 Nike hosted an event called “The Next Ones” for College commits to football. They invited women’s’ flag football teams from Las Vegas high schools to Bishop Gorman High School to begin the event.

The night began with the athletes being bussed by the Raiders to the Las Vegas Premium Outlets, specifically the Nike store. The girls were given the opportunity to meet Nausicaa Dell’Orto, who created the first women’s tackle football team in Italy, and Jennifer King, the Washington Commanders’ running back coach. Along with meeting these inspirational women, the girls were also given the opportunity to make a free customized crewneck, participate in exciting activities, and spend time with their teammates. Nike’s goal was to promote involvement in the women’s flag football community for these high school girls.

Isabella Turo, a sophomore on Shadow Ridge’s flag football team, says, “It was such an amazing experience. I don’t know why Nike decided to sponsor ‘The Next Ones’, but I am eternally grateful for the opportunity and the closer bonds with my teammates because of it.”

“The Next Ones” brought together female student-athletes from across Las Vegas, to show them appreciation and acknowledge their efforts in trying to represent women in the flag football world.

Showing the photos of the invites, the official Las Vegas Raiders website states, “The Las Vegas Raiders attended a Bishop Gorman High School football team’s meeting to surprise two players with an exclusive invitation to Nike’s “The Next Ones” where top high school athletes take part in special events during Super Bowl LVIII week.”

The event included college committed football players participating in fun football-related activities that the student-athletes got to watch. Multiple influencers were also there, including Kai Cenat, Duke Dennis, and Lil Yachty. A lot of the girls were given the chance to meet Cenat and Dennis, taking pictures, conversing, and even making jokes with them.

Turo recalls, “I saw Kai Cenat coming up and immediately started saying ‘Just give me my money!’ It is one of Kai’s most well-known phrases, and he repeatedly said it with me. I was shocked.”

Kai Cenat is a YouTube streamer, mostly known for his lack of a filter and his collabs with other creators (Dennis being one of them). The girls were actually allowed to interact with these influential creators which is something that made the event that much more memorable.

Drew Dubois, one of the coaches for Shadow Ridge’s Flag Football Team, states, “I definitely see a difference in the way the girls interact with each other now—they seem more open, everyone is laughing more, and the tensions are more easily overcome on and off the field.”

Meeting influencers, receiving free merchandise, and creating closer bonds within a team never would have been possible if it weren’t for Nike’s extremely kind gesture of hosting “The Next Ones,” and allowing for these girls to feel respected in their sport.