The NFL Foundation is giving grants to over 350 current players, former legends, and coaches to host free youth football camps nationwide. These non-contact camps aim to provide every child with a chance to play, removing financial barriers that might keep them off the field.

Empowering Young Athletes

Alexia Gallagher, the executive director of the NFL Foundation, stated that the program helps players connect directly with their roots. The grant winners will also have the opportunity to team up with USA Football to set up First Down Clinics during their camps, teaching kids basic skills like running, jumping, catching, and passing.

Current stars like Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young and Tennessee Titans lineman Jeffery Simmons are hosting camps. Simmons expressed that hosting football camps in his hometown of Mississippi means a lot to him, as it’s about giving back to the communities that helped shape him. The NFL Foundation has funded this program for nearly 30 years, providing youth with safe spaces to stay active and healthy.

The foundation also pays for the PLAY 60 program, which encourages kids to exercise for at least an hour every day, and Character Playbook, a program focused on mental health and building healthy relationships. In total, the foundation has handed out over $1 billion to various charities and community programs over its 50-year history.

Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.