More than 50 young UAE-based athletes from the EAFL Falcons are to compete at the annual Pop Warner Super Bowl American football competition in the United States this week.
The club, who play in the Emirates American Football League (EAFL), are competing in the international bracket of the “midget” (under 15s) competition and “junior midget” (under 13) of the international competition that is taking place in Orlando, Florida.
The action begins today and runs for eight days in total.
The U13 team will take on two teams from Mexico, and the U15 team is part of a five-team group comprising sides from Mexico and Canada. “The opportunity to compete at such a high-profile tournament is a dream come true and reward for the hours of hard work these kids put in on the practice field and learning the playbook.” said Patrick Campos, coach of the U15s Falcons.
“This is another exciting challenge for the players and coaching staff, and our fans can be sure that we’ll leave everything on the field.”
Jerry Herrera, the U13s coach, said the event will be a good test of just how far his side have developed.
“We are taking a great group of kids to Orlando, young men who’ve put in tremendous hours of training,” Herrera said.
“The offence is designed to utilise our athleticism and keep the defence guessing.
“Every player is expected to remain disciplined and work as a cohesive unit.”
akhaled@thenational.ae
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