Working Out Their Future: The NFL’s Play 60 Campaign and the Production of Adolescent Fans and Players

Abstract

This article critically examines the National Football League’s (NFL) extensive “Play 60” campaign that operates in more than 73,000 schools in the United States. The year-round program—marketed as a campaign to end childhood obesity—now holds significance influence over school curriculums and operations, public constructions of health and diet, and governmental recommendations and policies on health and exercise. This article argues that the emergence of the Play 60 campaign as a major influence in these areas reflects the increasing privatization of physical education and wellness in U.S. schools. Furthermore, the program serves the commercial and political interests of the league by instilling familiarity with the labor and verbiage of football in program participants and advocating for the role of athletes (and the leagues they are a part of) in influencing youth ideas regarding nutrition and health. Most importantly, the program situates football as a safe and healthy practice for children amid increasing societal awareness and concern over the substantial health risks associated with playing youth football.