NFL-related flag football set for Nutley
NUTLEY, NJ - The Nutley Department of Parks and Recreation has announced the formation of a Youth Flag Football League.
The league, which will be run in association with the National Football League, will begin play this September and is available to boys and girls ages 7-8 and 9-11.
Launched in 1996, the NFL FLAG Football program is designed to educate young people about football while emphasizing participation and sportsmanship. Players learn skills and lessons that help them succeed both on and off the field.
“This is an exciting new sport for the children of Nutley to participate in,” said Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner Mauro Tucci. “Flag football emphasizes the fundamentals of the game without contact and more importantly, the fun of playing football without fear of getting injured. Our goal is for the children to learn to enjoy the game and then potentially move onto our other football programs.”
NFL FLAG is the premier youth football league for boys and girls ages 5-17. The program provides young players a fun and exciting opportunity to engage in non-contact, continuous action while learning lessons in teamwork.
NFL FLAG Football is a popular 5-on-5 game filled with fun and action. In this game, the offensive team plays for a first down at midfield and a touchdown in the end zone. Running and passing plays are allowed, although there are “no-running zones” at midfield and near each goal line.
The defensive team covers receivers, rushes the passer and grabs flags to make “tackles.”
The NFL provides team jerseys, footballs and flags.
“One of the great things about the program is its insistence on sportsmanship,” Tucci said.
According to the NFL FLAG rules, if the field monitor or referee witnesses any acts of tackling, elbowing, cheap shots, blocking or any unsportsmanlike act, the game will be stopped and the player will be ejected from the game.
Nutley resident David Merritt, a former NFL player who is currently the secondary/safeties coach for the New York Giants, is excited about the new program.
“I think it is a tremendous opportunity for the boys and girls of Nutley to experience football in a non-contact way,” he said. “It is a very physical game and to learn some of the key fundamentals at such at young age, without the high risk of injury, makes NFL FLAG a great option. I’ve decided that my boys won’t play contact football until ninth grade, so our family is extremely excited that they will get a chance to play the game before adding equipment, hitting, and all the pressures that come with the sport.”
Merritt’s wife, Yolonda, has been a driving force behind bringing flag football to Nutley.
“I’m so thankful to our Department of Parks and Recreation for bringing this program to Nutley,” she said. “Flag football is intense, fast-paced, and extremely fun for kids and my boys can’t wait to play. Friends of mine around town who are also mothers are equally excited about this new program. We are ready for some football!”
“The Department of Parks and Recreation is always looking for new ways to improve and diversify and NFL FLAG is another example of that,” Tucci added. “I personally look forward to seeing our children give this new sport a try.”
Applications for NFL FLAG are available at the Department of Parks and Recreation, 44 Park Ave. For more information, call 973-284-4966.
The league, which will be run in association with the National Football League, will begin play this September and is available to boys and girls ages 7-8 and 9-11.
Launched in 1996, the NFL FLAG Football program is designed to educate young people about football while emphasizing participation and sportsmanship. Players learn skills and lessons that help them succeed both on and off the field.
“This is an exciting new sport for the children of Nutley to participate in,” said Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner Mauro Tucci. “Flag football emphasizes the fundamentals of the game without contact and more importantly, the fun of playing football without fear of getting injured. Our goal is for the children to learn to enjoy the game and then potentially move onto our other football programs.”
NFL FLAG is the premier youth football league for boys and girls ages 5-17. The program provides young players a fun and exciting opportunity to engage in non-contact, continuous action while learning lessons in teamwork.
NFL FLAG Football is a popular 5-on-5 game filled with fun and action. In this game, the offensive team plays for a first down at midfield and a touchdown in the end zone. Running and passing plays are allowed, although there are “no-running zones” at midfield and near each goal line.
The defensive team covers receivers, rushes the passer and grabs flags to make “tackles.”
The NFL provides team jerseys, footballs and flags.
“One of the great things about the program is its insistence on sportsmanship,” Tucci said.
According to the NFL FLAG rules, if the field monitor or referee witnesses any acts of tackling, elbowing, cheap shots, blocking or any unsportsmanlike act, the game will be stopped and the player will be ejected from the game.
Nutley resident David Merritt, a former NFL player who is currently the secondary/safeties coach for the New York Giants, is excited about the new program.
“I think it is a tremendous opportunity for the boys and girls of Nutley to experience football in a non-contact way,” he said. “It is a very physical game and to learn some of the key fundamentals at such at young age, without the high risk of injury, makes NFL FLAG a great option. I’ve decided that my boys won’t play contact football until ninth grade, so our family is extremely excited that they will get a chance to play the game before adding equipment, hitting, and all the pressures that come with the sport.”
Merritt’s wife, Yolonda, has been a driving force behind bringing flag football to Nutley.
“I’m so thankful to our Department of Parks and Recreation for bringing this program to Nutley,” she said. “Flag football is intense, fast-paced, and extremely fun for kids and my boys can’t wait to play. Friends of mine around town who are also mothers are equally excited about this new program. We are ready for some football!”
“The Department of Parks and Recreation is always looking for new ways to improve and diversify and NFL FLAG is another example of that,” Tucci added. “I personally look forward to seeing our children give this new sport a try.”
Applications for NFL FLAG are available at the Department of Parks and Recreation, 44 Park Ave. For more information, call 973-284-4966.
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| A dream come true for Piro |
