School Adoptions
and Minicamps

Now in its fourth year, NFL Network's Keep Gym in School program continues its mission to boost fitness and physical education across the country, as latest studies show youth facing alarming rates of obesity and related diseases. In 2011-2012, NFL Network will extend the reach of its past local activations with continuing support grants and Professional Development programs to schools in all 12 previous districts. Working with local NFL teams and distribution partners, we’ll offer more schools the chance to revitalize their PE programs and facilities.

Keep Gym in School Fitness Program:

Middle Schools across our program markets compete in the Keep Gym in School Fitness Program, an initiative designed to motivate kids to get and stay active. The Keep Gym in School Fitness Program rewards students and schools for staying active throughout the school year.

Lesson Plans:

NFL Network has partnered with NASPE to develop instructional and educational content designed to get kids excited about PE. Lesson-plan and activity binders are distributed to all participating PE instructors within our adopted school districts. Click here

Teacher of the Year:

NFL Network will honor and reward one dedicated and inspiring Physical Educator with the PE Teacher of the Year award. Winners will receive a $10,000 stipend, a $10,000 school companion PE grant and a trip to the NFL Draft. The NFL Network PE Teacher of the Year will also act as a spokesperson for the program in 2012, both at Keep Gym in School events and with the media.

Public Service Campaign:

NFL Network has created a series of public service announcements for Keep Gym in School. These PSAs feature players from our NFL Club partners and are broadcast nationally on NFL Network, with NFL media partners and locally in program markets.
Click here

Honors Event 2011:

NFL Network will host a national honors event in NYC during NFL Draft Week in late April, to recognize our new 2012 Teacher of the Year. Click here

Congratulations to our 2010-2011 Fitness Challenge Winners!

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders honored four middle school children from around the country as winners of NFL Network's Keep Gym in School Fitness Program at the PLAY 60 Youth Football Festival in New York City. James Czachowski, from Arsenal Middle School in Pittsburgh, PA; Soung Hliang, from Roosevelt Middle School in Oakland, CA; Jorge Rojo, from Kepner Middle School in Denver, CO; and Caylin Newton from Camp Creek Middle School in Atlanta, GA were invited to the festival to participate in football drills and games with top 2011 Draft picks, including #1 pick Cam Newton. At the award ceremony Deion Sanders presented each winner with a Keep Gym in School trophy for their efforts.

In our third year, we were able to continue and expand the Keep Gym in School Ftness Program to motivate kids to stay active. Thousands of kids from four districts across the country participated - Denver Public Schools, Fulton County Public Schools, Oakland Unified School District, and Pittsburgh Public Schools. Each winning student was chosen based on a series of criteria including improvement in five fitness assessments, weekly fitness logs, and an essay contest. They, along with their parents and representatives from their schools, were brought to New York City to participate in all the Draft week festivities.

At the PLAY 60 Youth Football Festival, NFL Network also awarded Keep Gym in School's Teacher of the Year. NFL Network honored Dana Griffith from Lilburn, Georgia with their first ever PE Teacher of the Year Award. Ms. Griffith received a $10,000 award as well as a $10,000 grant for the PE program at her school, Berkmar Middle School.

After the festival, students, their families and schools representatives, attended a special luncheon held in their honor in Times Square. Each student was celebrated individually while enjoying a delicious and healthy meal. Afterwards the students and families were able to take a behind the scenes tour of Radio City Music Hall as it prepared for the NFL Draft. Finally, all guests were invited to Radio City Music Hall to attend the 76th Annual NFL Draft as VIP guests of NFL Network.