The National Football League and Tottenham Hotspur Football Club welcomed His Majesty The King to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium today to learn more about the impactful work being conducted by The Huddle Project in the local community.
The Huddle Project was launched in 2023 and is a dual sports program for boys and girls aged 11-18 jointly funded by Tottenham Hotspur, the NFL and Nike. Backed by a £1million investment over three years, it provides increased access to free sporting activity through NFL Flag and soccer as well as wellness experiences and employment opportunities in Tottenham.
In its first year, the program engaged 500 children and young adults across 189 sessions, alongside employment and education workshops led by senior executives across the three brands.
“We were delighted to welcome His Majesty The King to see The Huddle Project in action today and meet some of the incredible young people who we are privileged to work with,” said NFL U.K. and Ireland General Manager Henry Hodgson. “While the NFL London Games take place once a year, we are committed to supporting the local community year-round through The Huddle Project, and together with Tottenham Hotspur and Nike it was great to showcase the impact of our program to The King.”
Upon arrival, The King was greeted by the longest-serving British NFL player, Efe Obada of the Washington Commanders and captain of Team GB Women's Flag Football team and NFL x IFAF Global Flag Ambassador, Phoebe Schecter before being escorted to the field to watch a demonstration of flag football by some of the young people involved in the project. The King then took the opportunity to throw an American football under the guidance of Obada and Schecter.
“Today I had the privilege of meeting His Majesty The King and introducing him to flag football,” said Efe Obada. “He was really interested in learning more about the impact the NFL is having within the local Tottenham community, the power of The Huddle Project, and how the game is growing in the U.K. at every level. I hope he is now a fan!”
His Majesty took time on the field to speak with participants and learn first-hand about their experiences, as well as finding out more about flag football. Flag is a key element of The Huddle Project with young people taking part in weekly coaching sessions. Before leaving the field, Obada and Schecter presented The King with an American football from the NFL London Games.
“As an NFL x IFAF Global Flag Ambassador I have seen the positive impact our sport can have on the lives of boys and girls from around the world, so it was fantastic to introduce this to His Majesty The King,” said Phoebe Schecter. “He showed a real interest in the sport and why young people connect with it, and I think he came away with an appreciation of why it impacts the lives of so many young people and is one of the fastest growing sports globally.”
The International Federation of American Football (IFAF), supported by the NFL, led efforts for flag football’s successful inclusion in the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028. Seeing explosive growth around the world at both the grassroots and elite levels, with women and girls driving some of the fastest growth, flag football is the most accessible and inclusive football format.
His Majesty joined a Huddle Project Nike activation workshop to see young people design football jerseys and learn more about the crucial employability aspect of the program.