NFL to Host ‘Plays for Life’ Women’s Summit: Event for Teen Girls During Super Bowl Week

(Photo courtesy of NFL Women's Summit)
(Photo courtesy of NFL Women’s Summit)

The National Football League (NFL) announced that it will host Plays for Life, the League’s Super Bowl LI Women’s Summit, on February 3 and 4 in Houston, Texas.

Building on the success of last year’s Women’s Summit—which explored the role of sports participation in developing leadership, teamwork and other skills that promote success throughout one’s life and career—Plays for Life expands upon that conversation by engaging teen girls through an interactive and experiential event focused on personal development and achievement.

The NFL collaborated with the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee and the Houston Chapter of Women in Sports and Events (WISE), to invite approximately 250 Houston-area teen girls to attend Plays for Life. During the two-day event, which will be exclusively livestreamed at MAKERS.com, young women will hear from prominent leaders from across the NFL and beyond about their own personal journeys and participate in a discussion about how to achieve their goals, prepare for life’s challenges and best utilize the tools that are critical for personal and professional development. They will also engage in interactive activities including a “Strategy Lab” led by current and former NFL players and coaches, as well as an onsite AwesomenessTV studio where they can learn about content development and presentation style.

“We recognize the opportunity and value of using our biggest platform—the Super Bowl—to support the development of the young women in the Houston community and their future success both personally and professionally,” said NFL Chief Marketing Officer DAWN HUDSON.

Two of NFL partner Procter & Gamble’s trusted female brands, Secret and Always, are participating in this year’s Women’s Summit. Both brands will bring female empowerment to the forefront in inspiring ways. Secret will honor Disability Inclusion Leader, Summit speaker HABEN GIRMA, the first-ever deaf blind graduate from Harvard Law School. Always, the leader in global feminine care, is on a mission to stop the drop in confidence many girls experience at puberty through their groundbreaking #LikeAGirl program. To help encourage more girls, Always will host a group of female athletes at the Women’s Summit.

“At Always, we believe that girls and women are a force for good in the world. We know that supporting women and growing their skills helps to build their confidence and unleash their full potential,” said JENNIFER DAVIS, Vice President and General Manager, North America Feminine Care at P&G. “We look forward to engaging with this bright, young audience and partnering with the NFL at the Women’s Summit to bring inspiration that leaves them feeling empowered and ready to take on the world.”

“From all of us at NASA, we are thrilled to be a part of the Super Bowl LI activities in our hometown of Houston, including Plays for Life,” said veteran astronaut and director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center ELLEN OCHOA, Ph.D. “America’s space program continues to capture the imagination from people across the country and around the globe. It is my hope the young women attending will be inspired to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math and continue to reach for the stars.” During the Summit, NASA astronaut PEGGY WHITSON will also share a message with attendees, recorded from the International Space Station, her third long-duration mission to space.

Plays for Life will be emceed by FOX Sports broadcaster PAM OLIVER, an industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience covering the top stories from the world of sports, including as part of the network’s coverage of Super Bowl LI from Houston. Oliver is joined by more than 30 speakers, panelists and special guests, including:

  • THOMAS DAVIS, Carolina Panthers Linebacker
  • GABBY DOUGLAS, Olympic Gold Medalist & TEAM USA gymnast
  • TONY DUNGY, NFL Hall of Fame Coach
  • CHLOE X HALLE, Musical Guests
  • HABEN GIRMA, Disability Inclusion Leader
  • NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL
  • JANE SKINNER GOODELL, former Fox News anchor and wife of Commissioner Goodell
  • MATT HASSELBECK, NFL Legend
  • ALEXIS JONES, Founder of I AM THAT GIRL and Founder & CEO of ProtectHer
  • LELAND MELVIN, NFL Legend & Astronaut
  • MAYA PENN, CEO of Maya’s Ideas, Eco-designer, Philanthropist, Animator & Author
  • ALY RAISMAN, Two-Time Olympic Gymnast and Team USA Captain
  • RON RIVERA, Carolina Panthers Head Coach
  • DEVON STILL, Houston Texans Defensive End, and his daughter, LEAH
  • MEREDITH WALKER, Co-Creator/Executive Director of Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls
  • SHELLEY ZALIS, CEO & Founder of The Girls’ Lounge
  • AwesomenessTV stars: VANESSA AND VERONICA MERRELL, MAHOGANY LOX, JORDYN JONES and MEGHAN RIENKS

A live stream of Plays For Life will be hosted exclusively by women’s leadership platform MAKERS.com. Links to the live stream will also be available on www.NFLWomensSummit.com. Fans can follow live social media coverage of Plays for Life on Twitter via the NFL’s @SuperBowl handle and join the conversation across platforms with #NFLWomensSummit.

For more information about the NFL Women’s Summit, visit www.NFLWomensSummit.com and follow #NFLWomensSummit on social media.

SOURCE: NFL Media Release