Q&A with Louise Lee, President/Player of Warwick Wolverines Womens Flag Football and Team GB player

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!