The New York Jets and Palace for Life, the official charity of Crystal Palace Football Club, today announced a new partnership which sees the Jets NFL Girls Flag League expand in London. At the direction of Woody Johnson and supported by a $100,000 grant from the Betty Wold Johnson Foundation, the Girls Flag League will expand to eight new schools in the Crystal Palace area.

Woody Johnson, New York Jets Chairman, and Partner and Director of Crystal Palace FC, said: “Sports have the power to bring people together, build confidence and create opportunities for young people. Through the Jets, Crystal Palace and Palace for Life, we can make sure more girls have the opportunity to participate, compete and be part of a team. We’ve seen how quickly girls flag football has grown, and we’re proud to continue expanding our efforts internationally and creating new pathways for young women in South London and beyond.”

To kick off the partnership, 90 representatives from the eight schools visited the Crystal Palace Academy for a special clinic hosted by the New York Jets. They all tried flag football for the first time and experienced the exciting, fun and accessible nature of the sport.

The attendees and their teachers will use their training to prepare for the wider league kick-off in the Spring 2027, growing the Jets London League to over 40 schools and 450+ girls. The League is the first of its kind in London and is designed to increase girls’ access to and participation in sports through flag football.

Working with its existing network, Palace for Life identified eight local schools to join the league: Orchard Park, Langley Park School for Girls, Sedgehill Academy, Orion Eden Park, Hayes Park, Carshalton High School for Girls, Orion Ravensbourne, and La Retraite. Each will school receive Jets NFL Girls Flag League uniforms, practice jerseys and flag football equipment, as well as travel support to help pupils take part in games.

Mike Summers, Palace for Life CEO, said, “At Palace for Life, we use the power of sport to engage young people and help them find new opportunities. I’m delighted we’re working with the New York Jets over the next year to introduce girls across south London schools to flag football, a non-contact version of American football. Offering something different from our usual football activities (soccer, as our new partners would say!) could inspire girls we might otherwise miss, helping them develop teamwork, leadership and resilience. With its Olympic debut at LA 2028 ahead, it’s an exciting time to get involved. The partnership also celebrates the link between Crystal Palace FC and the Jets through our shared owner, Woody Johnson. A huge thank you to the Betty Wold Johnson Foundation for making this possible.”

The initiative is of huge importance to the Jets, with the organisation’s collective investment in Girls Flag football activities in London and Dublin now surpassing $1.5 million. The event was overseen by the Jets Flag Elite Team, the official girls flag football club travel team, another initiative brought from the US to the UK to provide a pathway for girls in London to elite level sport.

Flag football is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, with over 20 million players across 100 countries, where women and girls are driving the fastest growth. The sport will officially be included in the LA 2028 Olympic Games programme, led by the efforts of the International Federation of American Football and supported by the NFL.