MARBLEHEAD — It’d be hard to meet someone with four world championships to their name before turning 12 years old. But not everyone is Mirabel Khan, an 11-year-old from Marblehead who’s taking the flag football world by storm.
Khan won her first world championship (8U) in 2023 before winning another (10U) last year. She won two more earlier this year with New England Flag Football League Elite (10U) and NEFFL Playmakers (12U).
Her father, Shaun, has been coaching Mirabel since the 8U days. They have defeated opponents from across the country and with nearly 1,000 teams participating, the Flag Football World Championships have grown “exponentially,” according to Shaun.
“That was the first time they did that tournament when she was 8U back in 2023. It was still a big tournament, but it was the first of its kind. Two years later, it picked up a ton of coverage and it grew on ESPN,” Shaun said. “I want to say there were between 800 and 1,000 teams in the tournament, ranging from 6U to 18U girls and boys. It was a cool experience for Mirabel to be in such a big tournament.”
In a 10U championship game, Mirabel didn’t shy away from the pressure and dominated, leading to ESPN interviewing her postgame and naming her MVP.
But Mirabel didn’t have much time to celebrate, as she was also playing in the 12U game.
“We were on the stage getting the championship trophy – she was the MVP – then, right after, she had to change jerseys and run to the other field to play with the 12U team,” Shaun said. “For me, it was a relief because I wasn’t coaching, but I love watching her as much as I do coaching her. I can focus more specifically on my kid rather than everything else.”
Mirabel played on a boys’ team as well. Playing with and against boys has helped her development, according to Shaun.
“I coach the boys’ team, too, and she was the best player on the team. We lost that one in the semifinals or quarterfinals. Playing with the boys, I think, really helped her because boys and girls develop differently and she was the dominant player against the boys, which was awesome,” Shaun said. “She loves going against them and trying to beat them.”
Mirabel now sets her sights on making the USA Select Bowl Team that represents the Northeast quadrant. If she makes the team, she will be traveling around the country and competing against other quadrants, determining which has the best flag football stars.
At this rate, with flag football continuing to grow and being named an Olympic sport in 2028, don’t be surprised if Mirabel’s name becomes a familiar one.
