Jill Biden in Mexico City in support of youth Flag Football program, gender equality, girl power
While her husband Joe was meeting with Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador in Mexico City on Monday, Jill Biden, U.S. First Lady took part in an NFL Flag Football program event in Mexico City to showcase youth football and celebrate gender equality and women and girls’ empowerment. The Bidens were in Mexico City while President Joe Biden was taking part in the North American Leaders Summit, during which the U.S. President met with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, according to CBS.
Dr. Jill Biden was joined at the event by Diana Flores, world champion quarterback for the Mexico Women’s National Flag Football team, who led the team to win the gold medal against the United States at The World Games 2022 in Alabama.
Flores, an NFL Flag Football Global Ambassador, who is helping to promote the development of flag football around the world, was on the field with 30 young players from the program in Mexico City, taking them through the Tochito NFL Flag Football drills alongside the First Lady. Tochito is Mexico’s NFL Flag youth football program, played by boys and girls across all 32 Mexican states.
“¡Buenos Dias! Thank you all for joining us today. Meeting women like all of you is so inspiring to me, and that’s why it’s important to lift up your stories—so that they can inspire others as well.” ~ Excerpt of Jill Biden Remarks, per The White House
While at the event and meeting with students, Dr. Biden also noted, “Poetry and prose, dance and music, they can unite us across time and languages, and borders,” according to Yahoo! News.
See the full text: First Lady Jill Biden’s Remarks at the Women’s Empowerment Event in Mexico
NFL Flag is one of the fastest growing sports globally, empowering youth athletes around the world and instilling a lifelong passion for flag football. The non-contact format is fun, exciting, fast and accessible for all, with women and girls driving some of the fastest growth.
Flag football is currently played by more than 20 million people of all ages and genders in more than 100 countries providing a structured opportunity to play the game while discovering the importance of sportsmanship, teamwork and friendship both on and off the field.
The event took place at the Chief of Mission Residence, the official residence of the Hon. Ken Salazar, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico.
“Tochito NFL is a sport that is empowering young girls,” the First Lady said. “I’ve always said that sport is the international language, and it is about unity and believing in the same values and goals.”
Diana Flores added: “I feel very honoured to welcome the First Lady to Mexico and to share the field to celebrate Tochito NFL, a sport that has given me and others so much. This is an important moment for the boys and girls who play the game in Mexico. Tochito NFL promotes unity and inclusivity, it is a family, and has allowed women and girls to demonstrate their skills beyond the borders of our country as the game continues to grow around the world.”
Arturo Olive, Director General of NFL Mexico, said: “It was a special moment for the young players and everyone at NFL Mexico, and we want to thank the First Lady for visiting and showcasing this important NFL youth football program that enables more young people to get involved in the sport.”
The NFL is actively supporting the International Federation of American Football’s (IFAF) bid for the inclusion of Flag Football at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles via the ‘Vision 28’ leadership group and a range of joint activities to showcase the development and growth of flag football globally.
(Source: NFL)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook. Twitter & Instagram
