By partnering with Good Sports, the NFL has nominated two high schools to receive brand new football gear.
The NFL and Good Sports collaborate to donate to high-need communities
The NFL, all teams and Legends Youth have joined Good Sports to identify schools and youth programs. Each will receive $7,000 in brand new football gear.
“By providing equipment to youth and high school football teams in selected areas, Good Sports is continuing to remove access barriers,” said Roman Oben, NFL Vice President of Youth and High School Football. “All 32 NFL clubs nominated local schools for football equipment donations. Every child, no matter the circumstance, should have the access to play the game of football.”
Financial concerns have been a barrier to participation in youth sports. By providing brand new equipment it helps get more kids off the sidelines and into the game.
Legends Youth Advisory Committee
Launched at the 2019 NFL Draft, the committee helps preserve and grow youth and high school football through peer-to-peer engagement.
The NFL Legends committee includes:
- Mark Brunell
- Nate Burleson
- Trent Dilfer
- Maurice Jones-Drew
- Willie McGinest
- Jordan Palmer
- Chad Pennington
- Michael Robinson
- Deion Sanders
- Bobby Taylor
This generates inspiring conversations with youth and high school football communities about the values learned from playing football.
“At Good Sports, we believe that cost should not be a barrier for participation in sports and fitness activities,” said Melissa Harper, CEO and co-founder of Good Sports.“By partnering with the NFL and its clubs, we are able to provide equipment to give kids in need in 32 cities around the country a chance to play. This access is critical as the benefits of sports are proven to help kids develop socially, emotionally, physically, and academically. Simply put, kids who play do better and by bringing great partners together, we can make play possible for more children.”
Collectively, Good Sports and the NFL are distributing more than $589,000 in new football equipment across the country. These high schools and youth programs are all from communities of high need. To qualify, schools had to have a majority of their students on free or reduced lunch.
“This equipment has afforded our student-athletes with quality gear needed to participate safely in the sport of football,” said coach Demetrios Vrettos of donation recipient JS Morton High School in Berwyn, IL. “In years past, torn pants and girdles were distributed to our participants because our program did not have the means to suit up the entire team with quality gear. We now have the capacity to provide a satisfactory experience for our student-athletes.”
About Good Sports
Good Sports gives all kids the lifelong benefits of sport and physical activity by providing equipment to those in need.
In 2018, Good Sports’ impact came to more than $40 million in donated sports equipment, impacting over 6 million kids from more than 4,200 youth programs across the country.
Good Sports has been awarded a coveted 4-star rating six consecutive times from Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest charity evaluator, for sound fiscal management, transparency and accountability; is a Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance accredited charity; and is listed on Social Impact Exchange’s S&I 100, an index of top American nonprofits creating meaningful social impact.
To learn more or to get involved, please visit www.goodsports.org.
About Play Football
Play Football is a year-round initiative celebrating youth and high school football. Play Football works to shape the football experience, advocate for protecting players from unnecessary risk, promote football values and connect football communities.
For more information, featured football stories, best practices and resources aimed to create a positive playing experience, please visit PlayFootball.com or follow @NFLPlayFootball. Join the conversation on social media using #PlayFootball.