Children from a local school enjoyed a memorable experience as the Unlocking Potential programme brought them to play NFL on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium pitch.
30 pupils from Rothwell St. Mary's School took park in an activation at the stadium as the Leeds United Foundation, NFL Foundation UK and the San Francisco 49ers continue to utilise the power of sport to create opportunities for young people and inspire them to aim high.
The youngsters took part in a series of drills and exercises, building on their existing flag football skills and knowledge while developing their understanding of the sport.
They also had the opportunity to meet former NFL player Efe Obada, getting involved in a drill with the defensive lineman before putting their skills into practice bringing a playbook created by one of the children earlier that morning to life, with inspiration from videogame Madden.
Jack Pownall, NFL Lead Coordinator at Leeds United Foundation, said: "We've had a great opportunity to bring 30 of our kids that we partner with in Rothwell to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium today to do an activation with NFL UK.
"We had a conversation this morning about if we see somebody that is a former professional, or someone that they're inspired to be like, let's ask them a question that they wouldn't normally get. We had one child that created a playbook this morning, which had plays from where they play on Madden."
Obada was impressed by the youngster's creativity and ambition, highlighting the potential impact of providing children with opportunities to experience the sport first-hand.
"To have someone so young with the mindset of being a coordinator, drawing up plays, and acting it out, unheard of," he said. "Exposure to this at such a young age is huge. Who knows what that's going to spark in them."
