Chicago Bears NFL flag regional tournament draws young athletes to Rockford

ROCKFORD, Ill (WTVO) — The newly constructed Clarence Hicks Sports Complex hosted its first tournament with the Chicago Bears NFL Flag Regional tournament, drawing young athletes from all across the Midwest.

The Chicago Bears NFL Flag Regional tournament is part of a series of events hosted by all 32 NFL teams. This regional tournament is a qualifier for the NFL championships held in Canton, Ohio, at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The event marked a significant milestone for the complex and the local community, as it brought in nearly half a million dollars to the local economy.

“[The] Chicago Bears can have this tournament anywhere in the state of Illinois, and they chose Rockford,” said Lamont Jones, the general manager of the Clarence Hicks Sports Complex.

Nick Corrigan, coach of the Rockford Bears 14U girls’ team, expressed pride in his team despite only having 4 practices before the tournament.

“These girls a lot of them it’s their first year playing. For some of them they’ve been playing two years now. It’s just super awesome seeing them. They’re excellent representations for our young women here in Rockford,” Corrigan stated.

Jones, who attended the championship in Ohio last year, highlighted what it means for young players.

“I think that’s a unique opportunity. For kids to go out there and compete at that level. But just go across the parking lot and see all those bus or former NFL greats and see that history. It’s just an awesome experience,” Jones remarked.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WTVO. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WTVO staff before being published.