In recognition of the 38th annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day, the New York Jets, Nike, Gatorade and Visa announce the continued support of Girls Flag Football throughout New York, New Jersey and New York City.
In collaboration 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), nearly 200 high schools throughout New York State, New York City, Long Island and New Jersey will participate in girls flag football leagues supported by the New York Jets. For the first time, girls flag football will be recognized as a Championship Sport in New York State and Long Island, and as a Pilot Program in New Jersey. The sport will continue to be recognized as a Varsity Sport throughout all five boroughs of New York City.
"The Jets are proud to continue supporting Girls Flag Football as the sport transitions from an independent league to a State-run sport in New York and New Jersey," Jets President Hymie Elhai said. "Our goal is to give women an equitable platform and opportunity to play what we consider to be the greatest sport in the world. We are excited to see the next generation of football players and look forward to the continued development of the sport."
"It is exciting to see the rapid growth of girls flag football throughout New York State," NYSPHSAA Executive Director Dr. Robert Zayas said. "Flag football is providing thousands of student-athletes with the opportunity to participate, to represent their school community and to be part of a team. I am so appreciative of all of the help and assistance we have received from the NFL, New York Jets, New York Giants and the Buffalo Bills to get Flag Football started."
New This Season
The New York Jets will host the regions first-ever Girls High School Flag Football media day at MetLife Stadium on February 22nd. More than 50 high schools and more than 100 players from Jets supported Girls Flag Football Leagues will participate, including reigning New Jersey Champions Ridgewood High School, New York State champions Plainview-Old Bethpage and PSAL Champions Susan E. Wagner High School.
Each head coach and select players from participating schools will field questions from the media throughout the program. Additionally, coaches and players will be made available for one-on-one interviews. Finally, all players will hear from Nausicaa Dell' Orto, founder of the first female American football league in Italy, and captain of the championship-winning Italian National Team.
Championships
The Jets will host the 2024 New Jersey State Championships on Sunday, June 9th, at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center, the team's facility in Florham Park, NJ. The NYSPHSAA will host the New York State Championships at the end of the season.$100,000 of Nike's Uniform Grant will be donated to support the continued expansion of Girls Flag Football in New Jersey.
History
The Jets support of Girls Flag Football began in 2011 with the Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL), becoming the first NFL Club to help launch a Varsity Girls Flag Football League. 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 will officially come to fruition this Spring in both New York and New Jersey. In total, the Jets will support close to 200 Girls Flag Football Programs domestically in 2024 and over 3,000 participants. The New York Jets are committed to continuing support of Girls Flag Football and advocating for the growth of the sport. This Spring, more girls will play flag football in New York and New Jersey than ever before.
Player and Coach of the Week
For the second consecutive season, Gatorade and Visa will sponsor the Player and Coach of the Week during the season. The Jets and Gatorade will host eight regular season girls flag football games at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center this Spring. Teams from New York State, New York City and New Jersey will be able to compete on the same field the Jets players train on every day. One player will be named the Gatorade Girls Flag Player of the Week each week and a $1,000donation will be made in the player'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 and a $1,000 donation will be made in the Coach's name to support their schools girls flag football program.
Girls Flag in the U.K.
The Jets x Bears Girls Flag Football League, the first NFL supported Girls Flag Football League in the U.K., will return for its second season in 2024. In March, a special launch event will beheld in London to kickoff the second season. After launching the League with eight teams last season, 26 teams and over 200participants will help grow the League this Spring.
