Efe Obada and Jermain Eluemunor Hold Football Youth Camps in London to Inspire the Next Generation to Play American Football

LONDON – July 8, 2024: British NFL stars Efe Obada and Jermaine Eluemunor returned to London in partnership with NFL Foundation UK, the charitable arm of NFL in the UK, to host American football youth camps last week. Elueumunor held his camp on the 4th of July at Coles Park Stadium, while Efe conducted his on the 5th of July at Kennington Park, with the shared ambition to showcase opportunities to play the game in the capital and engage young people in London communities in flag football, highlighting the benefits the sport has on lives on and off the football field.

The youth camps led by Eluemunor and Obada saw over 240 children participate in team building exercises plus flag football training drills and an NFL Flag football game. The participants comprised of local school children and NFL Foundation UK beneficiaries from North and South London. NFL Foundation UK provided flag football equipment and coaching.

Current New York Giants player, Eluemunor designed and led the youth camp for young people from the Haringey area. Eluemunor, who was born in Chalk Farm, first became interested in the sport after watching the Giants play the Miami Dolphins at Wembley Stadium in 2007 on TV. Achieving his own dreams of signing for the NFL team he supports he hopes to set other youngsters on the same path by engaging them in the sport for the first time.

Britain’s current longest serving active NFL player, Obada, grew up in South London and plays for the Washington Commanders. Being an ambassador for NFL Foundation UK, BIGKID Foundation and mental health charity Mind, the South London event also saw attendees from BIGKID Foundation and Mind community partners. Also in attendance were NFL enthusiasts and high-profile stars in sport and entertainment, including, former NFL player, Jason Bell and Top Boy actor, Nicholas Pinnock, who joined in the flag football activities.

Given Efe’s focus on mental health, he highlighted the positive impact of sport and the transformative effect it can provide off and on the field. In addition, signed merchandise was gifted to provide long-lasting memories of the day.

The NFL Foundation UK launched in 2021 as part of the NFL’s international charitable endeavours and in partnership with the Mayor of London’s ‘Sport Unites’ fund that saw the duo commit a combined £1 million to deliver NFL Foundation UK's work in the capital. The organisation aims to tackle inequality faced by young people aged 11-20 through providing grants, training and equipment to local community organisations to help young people understand and realise their potential with access to positive pathways to develop their skills.

Flag football is fun, exciting, and accessible for all, with women and girls driving some of the fastest growth in the sport. Currently 60,000 young people from over 650 schools play the sport in the UK with more than 20 million people in more than 100 countries from all ages and gender demonstrating the popularity of the sport globally.

The game provides a structured opportunity for youth to play the non-contact version of American football while discovering the importance of sportsmanship, teamwork, and friendship both on and off the field.

The growth of the game follows flag football’s inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games — driven by the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) and supported by the league.

To find out more about the work of the NFL Foundation UK and the community initiatives it supports across the UK, please visit https://www.nflfoundationuk.org/.

To find out more about flag football, please visit, https://www.nfl.com/ukire/nfl-flag.