Adding feathers and sparkle to “Active Roster 2026”
Flag football has taken Salazar to different countries and continents and at times the culture shock was stark. None as great as when he went to Germany in 2025.
The new coach knew things would be different from the moment he was added to the team’s WhatsApp chat and saw its name.
“The group is ‘Active Roster 2026’. As simple as that. Super German,” Salazar said with a laugh. “And I love that as well. And I try to embrace this part of the culture, like being on time, ‘We’re going to do this’. As a leader you have to play with those cultural factors.”
For comparison, the Mexican WhatsApp chat, when Salazar played for the team, was called “Serpiente Emplumada” (Feathered Serpent).
“It’s spicy, with salsa!” the German head coach reminisced.
While it has been almost five years since Salazar played for Mexico, he never lost touch with his roots. And now that he is in Germany, he is trying to bring some of that Mexican flavour to his new team.
“Passion, passion,” he said of the quality that makes Mexico stand out among other flag football sides. “In Germany, it’s more structure: ‘We have to do this, we have to measure this’. And sometimes when you’re playing a high-level sport, you have to be structured, you have to be methodical. You have to have a plan. But you don’t have to forget to have fun.
“You always go to have fun, so I’m trying to tell my players, ‘Even if we are playing at the high level, don’t forget why you are here. And you are here because you love the sport, you love football. You love being there catching balls and doing your thing when you were a kid. So don’t forget this’. And it’s good because they are getting this idea and they are embracing it.”
Sometimes, however, Salazar is reminded in a harsh way just how far Mexican passion can spread. When Germany took the lead in their opening match at the 2026 Worlds, some of Salazar’s former Mexican teammates cheekily tried to divert his focus.
“They were talking to me, ‘Hey, Said, what are you doing?’ Trying to distract me,” he said with a laugh. “Trash talk, but all innocent, calm.
“For example, there was situations where we knew what play was coming and we executed perfectly. And then as soon as we did the big play, which was in safety, we scored two points. They told me like, ‘Hey, you are watching the plays from the previous year!’ And I told them like, ‘Yeah, I’m doing my job. I’m watching the tape, so don’t call this play again. Otherwise, you know the result!’
“I respond in a proper way. I close my mouth and I respond with football.”
