NFL Foundation, USA Football, GENYOUth And Fuel Up To Play 60 Expand Commitment To Youth Health And Wellness Through NFL FLAG-In-Schools

"Football is a fun and engaging sport that teaches participants valuable life lessons both on and off field. We are excited to expand the NFL FLAG-in-Schools program and offer more kids the opportunity to get involved in the sport and have fun," said NFL Vice President of Youth and High School Football ROMAN OBEN. "This partnership provides much-needed resources to schools throughout the country to sustain their physical activity programs and positively impact students' health and wellness."

NFL FLAG-in Schools Kits will be provided to 4,700 schools at the beginning of the 2017-18 school year. The kits include footballs, flag belts, kicking tees, posters and a physical education (PE) curriculum designed by SHAPE America for elementary and middle school students, to get active and learn the basics of football in a fun environment.

New this year, digital NFL FLAG-In-Schools training modules, including video-based instructions, will be available free of charge to PE teachers nationwide and provide more educators access to the training. The modules follow a curriculum developed by USA Football and SHAPE America that meets national standards for continuing education. Teachers can access the training modules via the website: http://www.shapeamerica.org.

"Since the introduction of this partnership, and its subsequent expansions, each year we've heard resounding, positive feedback from educators who have received NFL FLAG Kits regarding the effectiveness of this turnkey solution and its ability to inspire both boys and girls to be physically active," said CEO of GENYOUth ALEXIS GLICK. "We heard the national call for more strategies to help kids participate in high-quality physical education and other opportunities to be active before, during and after school, and our partnership to deliver NFL FLAG-In-Schools Kits was our answer to that call."

The program has seen notable success since its inception in 2014. Seventy-one percent of the schools receiving kits are high-need schools: 40% or more of students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Ninety-eight percent of teachers reported using the kits in their PE class with nearly half (47%) also using them after school. Earlier this year, PE teachers who previously received NFL FLAG-In-Schools Kits participated in a Fuel Up to Play 60 Program Advisors' focus group and reported the following benefits:

• Participants reported using NFL FLAG-In-Schools Kits in PE class, at recess, in intramurals, in tournaments, before and after school and in Fuel Up to Play 60 events;
• The program has significantly increased PE teachers' confidence and ability to teach/coach flag football;
• Participants overwhelmingly felt their FLAG-In-Schools programs were successful - citing student enthusiasm for the game, especially girls' interest in the game, older students' willingness to teach younger students how to play and flag football's increasing popularity over other sports as reasons for the success; and
• Participants representing a variety of school sizes unanimously reported that all of their PE students participate in FLAG-In-Schools, adding that a sizable amount of interest among students was generated by intramural play and recess play

Additionally, schools report that the program has helped them to increase female students' participation in physical activity at school. In fact, NFL FLAG-In-Schools sparked such an interest in Miami-Dade County Public Schools that the district developed 50 new varsity middle school girls flag leagues with 1,100 girls now playing varsity flag football. This is a key advantage, given a 2016 study by Tufts University School of Medicine and the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, which showed that girls are at greater risk than boys of falling short of in-school physical activity recommendations.

To learn more about NFL FLAG-in-Schools, visit FuelUpToPlay60.com. To find or start an NFL FLAG league in your community, visit NFLFLAG.com, and for updates from this season's in-person NFL FLAG trainings and more, follow @NFLPlayFootball and @GENYOUth on Twitter.

About The NFL Foundation
The National Football League Foundation is a non-profit 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 represents the 32 NFL clubs and supports 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 NFL FLAG powered by USA Football
NFL FLAG powered by USA Football (www.nflflag.com) provides opportunities for children ages 5-17 to enjoy America's favorite sport. With more than 400,000 participants nationwide, players benefit by being physically active through non-contact, continuous action while learning the fundamentals of football, lessons in teamwork and sportsmanship.

About Fuel Up to Play 60
Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by National Football League (NFL) and National Dairy Council (NDC), which was founded by America's dairy farmers, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Fuel Up to Play 60 is designed to engage and empower youth to take action for their own health by implementing long-term, positive changes for themselves and their schools. The program additionally encourages youth to consume nutrient-rich foods (low-fat and fat-free dairy, fruits, vegetables and whole grains) and achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. As a result of the program, last year 14 million students made better food choices and are getting more physically active during the school day. Fuel Up to Play 60 is further supported by several health and nutrition organizations: Action for Healthy Kids, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Association/Foundation, National Hispanic Medical Association, National Medical Association and School Nutrition Association. Visit FuelUpToPlay60.com to learn more.

About GENYOUth
GENYOUth empowers students to create a healthier future for themselves and their peers by convening a network of private and public partners to raise funds for youth wellness initiatives that bolster healthy, high-achieving students, schools and communities nationwide. We believe that all students are change-agents, who deserve the opportunity to identify and lead innovative solutions that positively impact nutrition, physical activity, and student success. For more information about GENYOUth, visit: www.genyouthnow.org.

About USA Football
USA Football designs and delivers premier educational, developmental and competitive programs to advance and grow the sport. As the sport's national governing body, member of the U.S. Olympic Committee and organizer of the U.S. National Team for international competition, USA Football partners with leaders in medicine, child advocacy and athletics to support positive football experiences for youth, high school and other amateur players.

SOURCE GENYOUth

Related Links

http://www.genyouthnow.org