Ridgewood Graduate Makes Italian Olympic Flag Football Team, Awaits World Games Decision

Lucia Mastellone grabbed a spot on Italy’s 20-woman Olympic flag football team after training camp in Rome last November. The former Ridgewood High School standout now waits. Will she crack the final 10-woman roster for the World Games this summer in Germany?

Mastellone got an invitation to the Italian Olympic Women’s Flag Football training camp in November 2025 while she was studying at the University of South Carolina. Her grandparents came from Italy, and she carries dual citizenship. That made her eligible to compete for the national team.

Mickey McDermott, the Ridgewood flag football head coach, reached out to the Italian Embassy on behalf of his former player. He sent film from her high school career and clips from the Jets Flag Elite, a club sponsored by the New York Jets.

“Lucia has shown so much growth over the last three years of coaching her and has exceptional talent to play at the next level,” McDermott said, according to NJ.com. “This sport (flag football) is now giving girls like Lucia a chance to play at the college, professional, and Olympic levels.”

After months passed without a response, Italy’s new head of operations called and invited her to training camp. She flew to Rome. For two days, she competed against athletes from around the world.

The New Jersey native tried out as a wide receiver. At Ridgewood, she played quarterback, running back, and wide receiver on offense and defensive back on defense.

Mastellone scored 20 touchdowns and racked up 866 yards of total offense in 2025 to earn First-Team All-State honors. She was named MVP in both the North-South All-Star Game and the North/Central final. The former prep star also participated in the U.S. Army Bowl All-American Flag Football game.

She helped Ridgewood capture three straight North/Central state championships. The sport became sanctioned by the NJSIAA on May 4.

The Olympic format uses 5-on-5 play instead of the 7-on-7 setup used in high school. Mastellone had experience with that format from her club work with the Jets.

“I was nervous, but all the girls there made me feel part of the team once I started playing with them,” Mastellone said. “There were many girls from around the world who were at the trials, which was really [something] to see.”

After making the 20-woman team, she flew to Milan in March to train for the Adria Bowl in Croatia. The competition featured men, women and mixed teams from across the globe.

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