Natalie Fischer never planned to play flag football. As a dedicated young tennis player, her athletic path seemed set until a pivotal conversation with her seventh-grade physical education teacher at Plato Academy Tampa changed everything.
That teacher, Coach Geoff Harris, saw something in Fischer that she didn’t yet see in herself. His persistent encouragement convinced the reluctant student to join the school’s girls’ flag football team despite her complete inexperience with the sport.
“I liked the sport from the very first match,” Fischer recalls of her introduction to the game. That first season proved remarkably successful as she scored 36 touchdowns and helped lead her team to a championship.
What began as a casual school activity quickly evolved into something more significant. Under Coach Harris’s continued mentorship, Fischer joined the Pirate Bay Krewe Travel Flag Team, expanding her competitive experience beyond school boundaries.
The transformation was remarkably swift. “In less than three months, she went from never having played a single snap of football, to winning a championship and playing in her first travel team tournament,” notes a school representative familiar with her journey.
A critical moment in Fischer’s development came when Coach Harris took his players to observe the Buccaneers Pre-Season Classic, a major tournament featuring top high school girls’ flag teams from across Florida. There, watching Alonso High School’s nationally ranked team compete, Fischer set a goal to join their roster in high school.
That vision materialized earlier this year when she earned a spot on Alonso’s varsity flag team, a significant achievement coinciding with an invitation to try out for the USA Football 17U National Team. The latter opportunity holds particular significance as flag football prepares for its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
The culmination of Fischer’s remarkable ascent came just yesterday, on March 20, 2025, when she was selected for the national team following tryouts in North Carolina. The selection process was intensely competitive, with only 18 players chosen from 40 elite athletes nationwide.
Throughout her journey, Coach Harris has remained a constant presence, training Fischer and providing the mental preparation necessary for high-level competition. While she has benefited from excellent coaching at both Pirate Bay and Alonso High School, Fischer acknowledges that her foundation was built at Plato Academy Tampa.
Her achievements include being named MVP at the USA Football Talent ID Camp and earning All-Tournament honors at the Select Bowl in Los Angeles last summer.
As Fischer sets her sights on Olympic competition in 2028, her story demonstrates the profound impact that school athletic programs and dedicated educators can have on students’ trajectories. For Plato Academy Schools, Fischer’s success represents their commitment to fostering student potential beyond traditional academics.
“She has her eyes set on the 2028 Olympics,” Heather Jenkins, Principal of Plato Academy Tampa said, “and it all started at Plato!”