After the success of the first Emirates American Football League (EAFL), American football is growing in popularity around the UAE.
The gridiron is a sport often out of reach for a lot of people around the world where equipment isn’t readily available. Luckily that isn’t the case in the UAE. The popularity of the EAFL over the last nine months has proved that there are plenty of people in the UAE with an appetite for American football.
For those looking to get into the sport or simply looking to try it out while meeting new people, there is the perfect opportunity on May 18. Continuing their efforts of promoting the game, EAFL title-holders Abu Dhabi Wildcats’ coaches and players will hold a camp at the American Community School in Abu Dhabi between 08:45 and 12 noon.
They will look to provide coaching on fitness and the techniques required to pick up the game. What’s more, the mini camp is free of charge.
“The camps are looking to teach the game’s fundamentals as well as conditioning,” said the EAFL’s youth coordinator Shanna Burghardt. “Hopefully the camp will give kids the chance to learn and love the sport.
“We are trying to get more kids to come down to the camps so we can have teams play against each other; two teams for seniors and two for junior teams.”
On the first weekend of May, the Abu Dhabi Wildcats held a successful camp as new students joined the youngsters who represented the junior Wildcats team during the first ever youth UAE American football league last year. In all, 46 youngsters took to the field.
“It was a great start for recruiting, for the next season,” Burghardt told Sport360°. “We ended up having 12 new juniors and now have three new seniors. Our senior count was low because they’re currently studying for their A Levels. We expect a much bigger turnout for the seniors on May 18 once their exams finish.”
The senior age group consists of children between the ages of 14 and 18 years old while the juniors is made up of those that are under 14 years old.
For any young hopeful, be warned: American football is a tough sport that requires heart and dedication. The coaches will put youngsters through their paces early on, working on conditioning, starting out with the kids running a couple of laps before doing different drills, like push ups, 40 yard timed dashes as well as butt kicks and sit ups, burpies and squat jumps.
Once the conditioning is complete, players will move to various positions, either defensive or offensive depending on the player’s skill set.
“If they have an idea ‘I want to be a quarterback’, they just need to know that if the coaches feel you’re better off somewhere else, they’ll move you there,” added Burghardt.
WHAT: EAFL camp with Abu Dhabi Wildcats
WHEN: May 18, 08:45 to 12:00
WHERE: American Community School in Abu Dhabi. The camp is free of charge
CONTACT & INFORMATION: Log on to www.eafl.ae
READ MORE:
– VIDEO: Abu Dhabi Wildcats… do the harlem shake!
– Abu Dhabi Wildcats crowned Desert Bowl champions
* For breaking news, follow us on @Sport_360 or find us on Facebook.
