Six Jets players participated in the NFL PLAY 60 Youth Football Festival on Wednesday and Thursday last week.
For those two days in New York's Central Park, the festival staged by PLAY 60, the NFL's youth health and fitness campaign encouraging kids to be active 60 minutes a day, reached 1,000 New York City public school students from four boroughs and 33 schools.
Sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students, including students from the Department of Education's C.H.A.M.P.S. program, learned football skills and health tips from D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Kellen Clemens, Darrelle Revis, Rob Turner, Darnell Bing and Brad Smith.
As a legacy of the NFL PLAY 60 Youth Football Festival, a turf field will be donated to Midwood High School in Brooklyn, site of the New York City Public School Athletic League Football Championships.
Installation of the field will be complete by this autumn, when Midwood hosts the PSAL championships. The field, which has not been refurbished in over two decades, also services students from Edward R. Murrow High School.
In addition, the NFL will help elementary school students stay active and healthy by donating NFL FLAG kits to fifth-grade classrooms throughout the city to extend the New York City Department of Education's C.H.A.M.P.S. program, which promotes fitness and sports skills.
"It is important to the NFL to offer safe places for New York City students to play and get active," said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. "Our players know the importance of being healthy and we are proud to provide the students of Midwood High School with a field that will help them achieve their athletic goals."
"We appreciate the NFL's generous support for the athletic and physical education program at Midwood High School," said schools chancellor Joel Klein. "The Department of Education is committed to providing opportunities for all students in traditional and non-traditional sports and fitness activities. Our partnership with the NFL is a big win for our students."
The New York Jets have been huge supporters of the PSAL and C.H.A.M.P.S. since 2001 as part of the Heads Up! Program. Through an annual matching grant from the NFL's Youth Football Fund, the Jets donate $100,000 to the PSAL's football programs.
This grant has helped create eight new and developmental football teams and expand the Jets C.H.A.M.P.S. Middle School Flag Football League presented by NYMEX Charitable Foundation to more than 75 programs throughout the New York City public school system.
