EAFL youth commissioner overjoyed at growth of the game in UAE

Kenny Laurie 10:24 10/03/2014
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  • Passion for the game: Youth league players have shown dedication to American Football in the UAE.

    It takes a lot of effort to start a sports league from scratch. But when you see scenes like those witnessed last weekend in the youth leagues of the EAFL, then the value of that hard work becomes clear.

    The three youth leagues of the EAFL – PeeWee, Junior Varsity and Varsity – all played their Desert Bowl semi-finals last week. The winners need not be mentioned but the ecstasy enjoyed by those who won and the emotional commitment so many children, parents and volunteers have made to the EAFL led to an unforgettable sight for Youth Commissioner David Paksima.

    “The patriotism that exists within the teams is incredible. After the playoff games, to see the exuberance of the teams – you can’t buy that, they don’t sell that in the mall. It was true team spirit and pas-sion from the kids after a five or six month season,” Paksima told Sport360°.

    The future health of the organisation lies with the youth leagues, inspiring new generations to take up the game and providing a conveyor belt of talent to the senior teams further down the line.

    Anyone who has ever been party to a youth league knows the lay of the land. Parents can be difficult, demanding playing time for their children while coaches can often be overly competitive, sacrificing inclusion for pragmatism.

    Dealing with that combination can be very difficult and that job falls on Paksima’s shoulders.

    “The parents push us to get better every year,” he says. “In America, the squads can be 45 kids deep so most hardly get any time on the field.

    “It’s a pay-to-play league, so kids are expected to play more than just practice. As a general principle, we want a cap to ensure that children have a significant time.

    “Every coach wants to win, it’s hard to tell a coach to play a player when they are on the verge of winning a game. But we impress it upon them from the beginning that everyone has to see time. Some coaches are brilliant about it and understand that at youth level it is about development.”

    The rise from thin air two years ago to a fully functioning and dynamic league has been amazing.

    Paksima added: “We all want the game to grow here. I have lived here for 11 years. The ability to have American football in the UAE is something I could have never imagined, and it helps me keep my family here and happy which is huge.

    “Now I see these new families that can relocate, so many of them have been so shocked and surprised that there is something for their families to do.

    “Our weekends are centred around football. It’s our family time, our community time and our network of friends.

    “I’m so excited about what next year might look like. The league has improved so much, I can only imagine what it can be like next year. We all believed there was a market here somewhere, but we were all caught by surprise how quickly it has caught on.”

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