Article by Gary Jordan
Photos courtesy of Louis Lee and Garry Charles
Over the past few weeks I’ve managed to ask questions to a
few people regarding the future of British Football and how it can progress.
With many varied platforms of the game now and its rapid growth – in particular
at University level – just how easy is it to get involved?
With this in mind and knowing that Flag football is perhaps
the quickest way to get introduced to the game, I was fortunate to get the
chance to put a few questions to Louise
Lee, an integral part of the Women’s
Team GB Flag Football Team that is set to go to Spain this September in search
of European Championship glory.
So just how did she get involved in the game? Was it easy to
pick up? How does she feel about Team GB’s chances in a couple of months? And
how would she encourage someone to play the game?
Read on to find out all this and more…
How long have you followed the sport and when did you become
aware that you could participate?
I didn't know much
about American Football (if anything at all!) until my first year at Warwick
University. Having been pushed towards Cheerleading by other members of my
Halls of Residence, I had made good friends with many American Football
players. The Super Bowl 2012 was the first game I ever saw, and I had only gone
along to watch in order to see friends. Following numerous cheer practises
where many American Footballers provided some additional man power, they told
me it was time to return the favour. That meant training with the Wolverines;
the first Women's University American Football team who were busily recruiting
for more players.
How did you first get involved in playing the game?
I went along to a
Wolverines training session alongside three other girls from cheerleading.
Having played netball, rugby and football at school, I found I got back into a
team sport pretty easily. Having really enjoyed our first session, we all
headed straight into town, bought football boots and committed to joining.
Coach Gaydon threw us in at the deep end with a mixed tournament straight away,
which meant before we knew it, we were fully fledged Rineys.
Were you apprehensive going into your first practice
session?
I remember walking
over to the training pitch on that first (rainy) Wednesday wondering what on
earth I had agreed to. I didn't know the rules for a start - so much so that
the first time I caught a ball I proceeded to throw it straight on to someone
else. However, as soon as the drills and the passing trees were over and we
were into our first practise game, any sign of lingering apprehension had left
and the adrenaline kicked in.
What was the first position you played, and did you settle
in ok?
I was primarily an
offence player (mainly at slot) at the beginning. I could run, I could catch
and there wasn't much more to think about (Coach Gaydon had already decided I
should probably steer clear of throwing so my QB dreams didn't last long).
Thanks to the closeness the Wolverines share with the men's club, and Coach
Gaydon's expertise, I settled in immediately. It was a nice group of girls,
playing a sport that put everyone at the same level. We were all there because
we had chosen to be, not just because it was the only sport we had played back
in secondary school.
As an individual how competitive are you and how do you
transfer that into a game?
Anyone who knows me
will say that I am a fiercely competitive person. Perhaps when I was younger
this was transferred into sport through passion, which could mean getting angry
to the point of tears. However, as I've matured and learned the technicalities
of the game, I use that competitive nature now to push myself into performing
to the best of my abilities on each and every play of every game. My focus is
no longer on what the score is or how badly I disagree with a referee/coach's
decision, it is about making each decision count. I am more than happy to lose
to a good team knowing that we played our tightest defence and our most
accurate offence. Competitiveness to me now is about the quality of play, the
communication within the team, jumping a little higher for that catch, running
a little faster for that tackle.
How important do you see Flag Football for the growth of the
game in the UK?
Having been a member
of the first University team set up for women, I can see first-hand just how
important Flag Football is for the growth of the game in the UK. In the last
three years it has changed from five of us in a field, occasionally playing the
Coventry Cougars, to a National tournament with thirty teams around the country
and a full GB set-up. Flag Football serves so many purposes. As a game, it
teaches you rules and tactics. It teaches you to think through every play, to
observe and judge what is going to happen, and react to it before it has even
happened. It is a sport for people who want to swap to contact football, and it
is a sport for people who wish to swap from contact football. Importantly, it
can also be played by anyone at any age. What sort of set up can be more
conducive to growing a game in the UK?
Have you played tackle football and to what level, if not
would you consider it?
I haven't yet tried
tackle football - but not for lack of trying. I missed numerous open sessions
due to 8 weeks out with a broken tooth and swollen face, and a few more after
being advised not to play due to a concussion the previous week. It seems that
fate has not yet allowed me to give it a go. My loyalty however will always lie
with Flag Football as I love the community that has been built, but there will
always be a part of me that wants to give Tackle Football a go. I just have to
find an injury-free period in which to try it.
Did you expect to get picked for Team GB for the coming
Championships, and describe the moment when you received the call that said you
was in the squad?
Team GB is something
I have been involved with right back to when Coach Gambrill ran the Elite
Women's Program in the hope that it would one day become Great Britain Women.
This gave me a taste of the GB coaching and I knew I wanted more, but never in
my wildest dreams did I think it would really become a reality. When I received
the call to say I had been selected for the squad going to the European
Championships, I was sitting in the lounge with my Dad. I made him pause the TV
and then proceeded to spend fifteen minutes shushing him whenever he tried to
ask why I was so excited. Excitement, panic, butterflies, shock, you name it.
It certainly took a few days for it to sink in.
What are the teams ambitions and goals (apart from obviously
winning it all) for the Championships?
For me, the most
important thing is that we play well as a unit, consistently across the
championship. My goal would be for a team that plays well, both on and off the
field. I want us to be able to celebrate every person's achievements and to
pick people up when mistakes are made. A team will not succeed without respect
for one another, so as a new squad that would be my first ambition. When
players respect each other, they will naturally play well together, and that is
when we become unbeatable. I want everyone to come away having had the best
experience possible.
If you were to encourage someone who wasn't sure if this
sport was right for them, how would you convince them?
American Football is
a team game, it only works if every single person carries out their role
correctly. It is a game of tactics where whatever route you are running, or
whatever zone you are covering, it is for a reason and it's crucial. I don't
think there are that many other team sports whereby every player matters, at
all times. In addition to this, there are so many skills needed that there is
also a position that suits you. If you are fast, have quick hips and feet, if
you are tall, if you can catch, or tackle, or have quick reactions and
instincts, whatever skill set it is that you have, there is a position in
American Football for it. That and it is the most addictive sport in the
world...
Anything else you wish to add?
The Flag Football
community is one of the most inclusive sporting communities I have ever come
across. It is packed full with people who care about each other, and about the
game. The coaching is great, the support is unwavering and you meet so many
fantastic friends along the way, from all over the country. The game is
exciting, and with the increased interest in American Football currently in the
UK, there is no better game to be getting involved in at this moment in time!
