December 3, families and friends of athletes gathered in the arena for the highly anticipated signing of National Letters of Intent (NLIs). These agreements allow athletes to commit to playing their sport at the collegiate level. On this special day, Amaia Hardy (9) signed to play flag football for Lees-McCray College. As a dual sport athlete, Hardy found her passion in flag football — a sport that recently acquired widespread popularity and recognition amongst older athletes. As she continues her journey, Hardy strives to change that narrative.
“I’m very excited to move on to the next level and play flag for a college team. They are going to see me work hard and keep grinding every day. I must keep the same mentality from high school. I’m going to miss the people, the coaches and the environment — just everything,” Hardy said.
Hardy’s accomplishments extend further than the flag football or soccer field. As flag football continues to rise in popularity, Hardy remains at the top of the conversation surrounding girls who push the game forward. In 2024, the Georgia Elite Classic All-Star game selected Hardy as the first flag player to participate in the event’s then-11-year history. The accomplishment gained recognition throughout the state and captured attention around Hardy in schools around the country. During the recruitment process, Hardy received an impressive eight collegiate offers.
Hardy cited that starting on the NC flag football team garnered her minuscule levels of attention. In only three short years, the sport ascended to a new level of popularity, no doubt with the help of the flag star. In addition to flag football, Hardy plays on the NC soccer team. Her role as a center back ensures that no team scores a goal against the Lady Warriors’ tough defense. Hardy’s impressive 3.7 Grade Point Average (GPA) also sets her apart as one of NC’s brightest stars both on the field and in the classroom.
“She’s great at guiding her teammates into making strategic plays and is often the one to notice a false call. On the field, she is very driven and is quick to get her teammates’ heads back up and in the game. I’ve only spoken to her a few times, but from what I heard and saw, she’s a really good player with great sportsmanship. Especially as a flag football manager, I can definitely see far goals being reached by her and am sure her presence will be missed on the field next season,” magnet sophomore Robyn Djomoah said.
While at NC, Hardy and her flag teammates accumulated a record of 34-40-1. In recent years, under the leadership of coach Murphey Corley, the team achieved a 14-7 season in 2025. In 2023, NC flag named Hardy the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the season because of her integral contributions to the team. No other NC flag player had signed to play at the collegiate level until Hardy signed her NLI December 3. Now that the flag football season has ended, Hardy officially sets her sights on her next step of proudly representing NC at the collegiate level.
The Chant wishes Hardy success playing flag football while attending Lees-McCray and wishes her a memorable final year at NC. Go Bobcats!
