HUD, NFL and White House announce interagency MOU to expand youth flag-football and sports programs

HUD Secretary Scott Turner announced and participated in a signing ceremony for the first interagency memorandum of understanding (MOU) to expand the "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) youth-sports initiative, bringing federal agencies together with the National Football League and local partners to promote flag football and related youth-development programs.

Turner, introduced by Dewey Strobel, the regional administrator for HUD’s Great Lakes region, said the MOU "will begin a conversation on how to bring the Make America Healthy Again, the MAHA Movement to youth in underserved communities around America." Turner, the secretary of housing and urban development, said HUD’s role is to strengthen communities by investing in young people and that the federal government "is a great convener" but must rely on local leadership and public–private partnerships to deliver programs.

"The MOU we will sign shows the federal government's cross-agency commitment to empowering America's youth," Turner said, describing collaboration with public housing authorities, local nonprofits and other agencies to connect young people to mentorship, education opportunities and pathways to employment.

Troy Vincent, executive vice president of football operations for the National Football League, praised the partnership and said flag football advances "accessibility, affordability, and is truly all inclusive." Vincent said he is a product of public-housing sports programs and called the joint effort a "proud moment" for the NFL and its partners.

Andrew Giuliani, who serves on the White House task force for the FIFA World Cup 2026, said the event provided an opportunity to carry sports momentum into neighborhood programs. Giuliani said proceeds from a FIFA World Cup commemorative coin program have been pledged to support youth initiatives for military families: "We work to make sure that 100% of the proceeds pledged will support youth initiatives benefiting military families."

Turner invited interagency colleagues—identified in remarks as representatives from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education and the Department of Labor—to join NFL and White House partners onstage to sign the MOU, formalizing the cross-agency commitment. The event concluded with thanks to parents, players and hosts and with on-site activities for the young athletes; the remarks did not include a breakdown of new federal funding, nor did they record any formal votes or statutory actions.

Organizers described the MOU as a framework for locally led programs that link sport with education and community services; details about implementation, specific funding sources and timelines were not specified at the event.