Council President Parker announces NFL FLAG Football Weekend; an outreach effort between the NFL, HABD and the Birmingham Park Board
The Birmingham City Council has partnered with NFL FLAG Football, the Housing Authority Birmingham District (HABD), and the Birmingham Park Board for a youth flag football weekend at Legion Field beginning Friday, August 27th.
The weekend activities will start with an NFL FLAG In-Schools Day, where alongside the Atlanta Falcons and GenYouth, NFL FLAG will give away flag football kits to local Birmingham Physical Education teachers to bring the curriculum to their classes. NFL FLAG staff will host the clinic to help P.E. teachers understand the sport, and learn the best ways to implement into their class.
“NFL FLAG is committed to improving the accessibility and inclusivity of the game of flag football for all athletes,” said NFL FLAG Executive Director and former NFL safety Izell Reese. “As an Alabama native, I’m especially proud to help bring the sport to my home state and create opportunities for young athletes to compete and benefit from the transformative power of sports.”
On Saturday, there will be a flag football jamboree for athletes ages 6 to 14 from housing authorities across the state of Alabama to learn the sport and compete against teams in their age group. The event is free and all participants will receive a t-shirt and flag belt for attending. On Sunday, the youth teams from around the state will compete in a one-day, single-elimination NFL FLAG Tournament.
Council President Parker applauds the efforts of NFL FLAG for their continued support for youth in historically underserved communities. “This is a great opportunity for these kids to come out and compete,” President Parker said. “I’m honored to be a part of this amazing effort with our partners at the Birmingham Housing Authority and the Birmingham Park Board. This is just the beginning of an amazing partnership with NFL FLAG that will benefit our young athletes in Birmingham for years to come.”
HABD President/CEO David A. Northern, Sr. is passionate about creating partnerships that provide opportunities for HABD’s youth who otherwise wouldn’t have the resources to be a part of an organized youth league on this level. “Last month we partnered with NFL FLAG and our youth competed in the first-ever NFL FLAG youth flag football tournament in Alabama,” Northern said. “We needed to keep the momentum going and make this even bigger to include public housing kids in the state.”
Shonae Eddins-Bennett, Director of Birmingham Parks and Recreation said, “Birmingham Park and Recreation welcomes NFL FLAG to the historical Legion Field Stadium. We are excited that during COVID-19, youth have another outlet to experience and engage in sports. We believe flag is an outlet for youth who are not yet ready for traditional contact football, as well as a tool to develop the knowledge of the game.”
Weekend Schedule of Events:
NFL FLAG In-Schools Day Friday, August 27, 2021–2pm-5pm
NFL FLAG/HABD Jamboree Saturday, August 28, 2021–8:30am-11:30am
NFL FLAG/HABD Tournament Saturday-Sunday, August 28–29, 2021
ABOUT NFL FLAG
NFL FLAG is an NFL-licensed property of more than 1,600 locally operated leagues and over 500,000 youth athletes across all 50 states. NFL FLAG is a fun and accessible non-contact program available for girls and boys ages 5–17. Players benefit by being physically active through non-contact, continuous action while learning the fundamentals of football as well as lessons in teamwork and sportsmanship. RCX Sports is the official operator of NFL FLAG.
