In recognition of the 39th annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day, the Jets, Nike, Gatorade and Visa announce the continued support of girls flag football. This spring, the Jets will support new and existing initiatives to grow the game across both youth and high school levels, including a USA football talent ID event, invitational tournaments, clinics, select games hosted at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center, and more. The Jets will continue to collaborate with the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA), the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA), and the New York City Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) as over 225 schools will compete in Jets supported conferences at the varsity level in New York and the second year of a Pilot Program in New Jersey. In total, over 6,000 girls will participate and compete in flag football leagues and programs supported by the New York Jets this spring, which include:
USA Football Talent ID
New this season, the New York Jets will host a USA football Talent ID event, a tryout for youth and high school athletes to join select teams feeding into USA Football, on February 22nd at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. The tryout is a unique opportunity for youth and high school athletes, both boys and girls, to showcase their skills and potentially join select teams that feed into National Teams for the Olympics. As part of the USA Football pipeline, the event aims to identify and nurture the next generation of football talent, providing them with a pathway to represent the country on the international stage.
Girl Flag Media Day
On Monday, February 25th, the New York Jets will host the second annual Girls High School Flag Football Media Day at MetLife Stadium. Over 75 high schools and 150 players from Jets supported Girls Flag Football Leagues will participate, including the first back-to-back Girls Flag Champions in New Jersey history, Ridgewood High School, New York State Champions, Plainview Old Bethpage, and PSAL Champions, Tottenville High School. Throughout the program, each Head Coach and select players from participating schools will answer questions from the media in a group setting, followed by one-on-one interviews. Super Football Conference schools will be featured in the morning, followed by schools from Long Island, Hudson Valley, New York City, and additional New Jersey conferences in the afternoon.
Girls Flag Invitational
The Jets will host the second annual Girls Flag Invitational on Sunday, March 23rd at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Presented by Nike and supported by Gatorade and Visa, eight high schools from New York City and New Jersey will compete at no cost. The Invitational will feature a pool format followed by a Championship Game between the two pool winners. The winning team will receive a trophy and an invitation to attend the Jets pre-season Play Football Game in August.
Gatorade Series POTW & Visa COTW
The Gatorade Girls Flag Series will kick off this spring for the third consecutive year, featuring five High School matchups hosted at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. High School's from the NYSPHSAA, NJSIAA, and PSAL will compete in regular season games on the same field the Jets train on. Gatorade will sponsor the Player of the Week each week throughout the season, including a Player of the Week from the Gatorade Series Games. A $1,000 donation will be made in the Player of the Week's name to support their high school's girls flag football program. Additionally, the Jets and Visa will honor a Coach of the Week throughout the season with a $2,000 donation to support their schools' girls flag football program and a Coach of the Year which comes with a $4,000 donation.
New Jersey State Championship
In June, the Jets will host the New Jersey State Championship for the fifth-straight year. The Championship will be held for the first time at Kean University, the home-site of many NJSIAA sanctioned championship events. The semifinals will follow the same format as 2024, with one Super Football Conference team taking on the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference (NJIC) Champion, and another Super Football Conference team taking on the top team from the Big Central Conference (BCC).
Youth Clinics
The Jets will continue to host youth Girls Flag Football clinics at MetLife Stadium and the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center to grow the game and create opportunities for girls to get involved before high school. Youth clinics will kick off in the Spring and continue throughout the year, with programs available to athletes throughout the tri-state area. High School Girls Flag Coaches will lead the clinics with assistance from high school players, and participants will receive custom Jets gear and accessories.
A Look Overseas
The Jets UK Girls Flag Football League, the first NFL supported Girls Flag League in the UK, will return for its third season this spring. Launched in 2023 with eight schools in the Greater London area, the League will expand to 28 schools and over 280 girls in 2025. A launch event will be held in March to celebrate the start of the season and the continued growth of the sport.
History
The Jets support for Girls Flag Football began in 2011 with the launch of a league with the PSAL in New York City, becoming the first NFL Club to help launch Girls Flag Football at the varsity level. A decade later, in 2021, the Jets and Nike launched the first High School Girls Flag Football League in New Jersey. Launched with the intention of providing girls an equitable opportunity to play football compared to their male counterpart, the long-term goal of the Jets support was to have the sport adopted as an official high school statewide championship sport, which officially came to fruition last spring in both New York and New Jersey. Building on this success, the Jets mission for supporting Girls Flag has evolved to grow the game even further by providing unique programs, clinics, and Talent ID events for all levels of skill and competition. Since 2011, the Jets have committed over $1.5 million to support Girls Flag and create opportunities for girls in football.
