NFL FLAG-IN-SCHOOL KICKS OFF ITS 11th YEAR OF ENGAGING STUDENTS IN ONE OF THE NATION'S FASTEST GROWING TEAM SPORTS

NFL, GENYOUth, and NFL FLAG Will Distribute Over 4,000 FREE NFL FLAG-In-School Flag Football Kits for the Upcoming School Year, Inspiring Youth to Develop a Love of Sport   

NEW YORK, April 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Football League (NFL), GENYOUth, and NFL FLAG are celebrating the 11^th year of GENYOUth's NFL FLAG-In-School program with the opening of national applications for the 2024-2025 school year. Beginning today, educators and school-based community organizations can apply for a free NFL FLAG-In-School flag football kit to strengthen and enhance their physical education curriculum and equipment. Applications will close May 15, 2024.

Through a renewed commitment of $1.5 million from the NFL Foundation, NFL FLAG-In-School offers opportunities for physical activity to students regardless of gender, ability, or skill level. Since 2014 and through the 2024-25 school year, 37,000 kits will have been provided to U.S. schools and school-based community organizations, engaging an estimated 17 million students to become more active before, during, and after school.

NFL FLAG-In-School is a proven resource that inspires youth to participate in sport. The program fuels interest and engagement in sport while providing an equitable solution for schools which lack accessibility to physical activity opportunities for students due to budget constraints. NFL FLAG-In-School's positive impact on girls is particularly notable, with schools reporting increases in female students' participation in physical activity, a growing number of all-girl after school flag football programs, and a movement toward girls' flag football as a varsity sport at the high school level.

And flag football, already one of the fastest-growing team sports in the United States, is going global with the recent decision to add it to the Olympics program for the 2028 summer games in Los Angeles. Overall, flag football is experiencing a strong level of expansion to which NFL FLAG-In-School has undoubtedly contributed.

"With fewer than 1 in 4 school-aged youth getting the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity¹, the need for NFL FLAG-In-School and the opportunities it provides for students to be physically active has never been greater," said Ann Marie Krautheim, CEO of GENYOUth. "Educators tell us that the tools and resources we provide are a critical part of their efforts to support the health and well-being of their students. We are proud of NFL FLAG-In-School's role in inspiring youth to embrace a lifelong love of sport."

"NFL FLAG-In-School provides a path for students to benefit from the many transferable values that the game of football has to offer, regardless of gender, age, class, disability, and ethnicity," said Troy Vincent, Sr., NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations. "The NFL, GENYOUth, and NFL FLAG partnership is a critical resource for ensuring under-resourced schools can meet their students' physical activity needs with America's most popular and fastest emerging team sport. Football needs to be for all students!"

"The NFL Foundation is proud of our longstanding partnership with GENYOUth to provide kids more opportunities to PLAY 60," said Alexia Gallagher, NFL Vice President of Philanthropy and Executive Director of NFL Foundation. "As youth need opportunities to be active and healthy, high-quality resources like these kits ensure that flag football and sports in general are accessible to all."

"NFL FLAG's commitment is to make sports accessible to all athletes," said Izell Reese, NFL FLAG Executive Director and CEO of RCX Sports. "Working with our partners GENYOUth and the NFL, we are committed to ensuring that NFL FLAG-In-School and the game of flag football are available to students across the nation."

NFL FLAG-In-School is hitting the road in 2024 with a series of in-school flag football clinics/unboxing events in cities including Orlando and Indianapolis. The events, hosted by NFL Legend and Global Flag Football Ambassador Bobby Taylor, provide opportunities for students to learn more about flag football while taking to the field to develop their flag skills.

Momentum will continue to build next week in the Detroit region as GENYOUth partners with the Detroit Sports Commission, the NFL, and Alltroo to bring NFL FLAG-In-School to middle schools in Wayne, Macomb, and Oakland counties for the 2024-25 school year. The partnership, aligned with the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit, will launch an Alltroo Rally fundraising effort, in support of NFL FLAG-In-School, a featured component of the Detroit Sports Commission's long-term Living Legacy initiative focusing on Education (Literacy) and Youth Sports (Girls In Sports), beginning with the 2024 NFL Draft and extending across all major sporting events coming to Detroit.

To learn more and apply for an NFL FLAG-In-School kit for your school, visit https://flag.genyouthnow.org/. To find or start an NFL FLAG league in your community, visit www.nflflag.com/school. For NFL FLAG-In-School updates and more, follow NFL FLAG, NFL PLAY 60, and @GENYOUthNow on Twitter. And use hashtag #PlayFootball to share your stories of NFL FLAG-In-School best practices and on how the program is positively contributing to youth development in your community.

About The NFL Foundation
The National Football League Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of those touched by the game of football – from players at all levels to communities across the country. The NFL Foundation and its members, the 32 NFL clubs, support the health, safety and wellness of athletes, youth football, and the communities that support our game. For more information on the NFL Foundation, visit: www.NFLFoundation.org.

About GENYOUth
GENYOUth is a 501c3 national nonprofit dedicated to helping school children thrive by living well-nourished and physically active lives. A catalyst for youth health and wellness, GENYOUth has supported over 77,000 U.S. schools to equip them with the resources needed to ensure millions of children have equitable access to nutrition and physical activity. Founded by America's dairy farmers and the NFL, GENYOUth convenes a network of private and public partners, including Fortune 100 companies and foundations to ensure all children are nourished and active to be their best selves. With a commitment to end student hunger, GENYOUth provides nutrition grants to increase access to healthy school meals among food insecure students. GENYOUth is the official charitable partner of Taste of the NFL, a purpose-driven Super Bowl culinary experience that raises awareness and generates funds to fight hunger and food insecurity to support the organization's commitment to end student hunger. To learn more and support GENYOUth visit www.GENYOUthnow.org and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

About NFL FLAG
NFL FLAG is an NFL-licensed property of more than 1,800 locally operated leagues and over 585,000 youth athletes across all 50 states. NFL FLAG is a fun and accessible non-contact program available for girls and boys ages 5-17. Players benefit by being physically active through non-contact, continuous action while learning the fundamentals of football as well as lessons in teamwork and sportsmanship. RCX Sports is the official operator of NFL FLAG.

About RCX SPORTS
RCX Sports is the premier youth sports experiences business, running and operating leagues, camps, combines, tournaments, and events. Working directly with professional leagues, national governing bodies, and sports-centric businesses, such as the NFL, Jr. NBA, MLB, NHL, and NAIA, RCX is committed to improving the accessibility and inclusivity of sports by creating opportunities for all athletes to play. For more information, visit rcxsports.com.

SOURCE GENYOUth