Sunday, Sept. 20, 1–3 pm
The NFL Punt, Pass & Kick competition is a free opportunity to build confidence and it is returning to the Simon Family JCC.
For boys and girls ages 6–15, this competition is the first step to advancing regionally, and perhaps all the way to an NFL playoff game this season.
Punt, Pass & Kick is a nationwide football skills competition sponsored annually by the National Football League and designed to provide America’s youth athletes an opportunity to compete against their peers in five age brackets.
Last year, the JCC boasted several winners, including William Park from Virginia Beach, who won in the boys 10- and 11-year-old category, advanced to regionals, and then had an opportunity to go to the Redskin field to compete.
“Not many kids at that age have the opportunity to stand on the same field while the players run on before the game starts,” says his mother, Stephanie Park. “William also got to return to the field with other competitors to throw the ball around at half time as well. It was an exhilarating experience for him, and one that he will never forget.”
Established in 1961, PPK is the oldest NFL youth football program. More than three million boys and girls from around the country take part in PPK competitions from May through January, making it one of the largest youth sports participation programs.
Boys and girls compete separately in one of five age divisions (6–7, 8–9, 10–11, 12–13, 14–15) by punting, passing and kicking anytime they chose between 1 and 3 pm. All participants launch one punt, one pass and one kick, with scores based on distance and accuracy, in the hopes of winning a chance to advance to sectionals.
Distance scores are determined from where a contestant’s ball first makes contact with the ground and accuracy is measured by the distance the ball deviates from the centerline down the field. Yardage off the centerline is then subtracted from the distance yardage to establish the final result.
Participants start out in local competitions, which take place across the country. The contest is free and all that’s needed is a birth certificate to verify age. Players can only participate in one local competition a year. Sneakers are required; cleats are not allowed.
The top finisher in each age group at each local competition will qualify for the sectional competition. At sectionals, each participant starts over and tallies new scores.
The top four finishers in each age group at the sectional competition advance to the team championship in their respective NFL market. The winners there are named that NFL market’s Punt, Pass & Kick champion. From there, the top four scores nationally in each age group come together for the national competition. The finals generally take place in January at an NFL stadium that’s playing host to a playoff game.
To sign up for the FREE PPK event at the JCC, visit the NFL’s Punt Pass and Kick website, NFLPPK.com. For more information, email tedwards@simonfamilyjcc.org.