By Matt Bressington
Europe’s U19 international teams are once again in the spotlight following the weekend games. Great Britain and Italy took the field in Milan and one thing was evident to those who have witnessed the rise of the NFL Academy over the last few years. This isn’t the best possible team that could be fielded by Great Britain, this hypothesis was confirmed when the Italians ran away with a 34-0 victory over the Lions. Granted, this is a transitional team, with many of the standouts from the 2022 Euros ageing into senior competition. Regardless, the abundant absence of Academy prospects is felt across the field. Zero on the Offence, four on Defence with Harker, Wilkes, Laidley and Maxfield. The latter is a team captain and has earned praise for his performance against the Italians.
This leads to the focal point, why aren’t more NFL Academy prospects playing for the national team? To be clear, I am not advocating those with NCAA or international opportunities to represent their country. It holds little value considering the risk of injury for those athletes. The players who wish to attract more attention and collect high-quality game film should be taking this opportunity, especially given the smaller seasonal schedule of the Academy compared with BUCS and BAFA organisations. For example, players who haven’t seen the game time they desired against the Unicorns, IMG or Flash could attempt to further prove themselves against European competition instead of not utilising their talent. This could lead to additional game time for the Academy, or at least give them competition in the Great Britain setup. To go a step further, UK universities are becoming increasingly accepting of American football scholarships for those who have played at an international level. Subsequently, performing for a national team could further a career outside of football if that is a pathway available to these athletes.
Alternatively, players in the Academy who do see regular play time but, for one reason or another, aren’t getting the attention they want from universities in North America may be able to garner more offers or possibilities. With international game time, they can provide further evidence of their potential to play at the next level of football. Furthermore, the continued expansion of the European League of Football means that the German Football League, among others in North and Central Europe, have made strides in accumulating young talents before they are ready for a step up into more advanced competition. By playing against the best U19 teams in Austria, Germany, Finland and so on, NFL Academy players can get on the radar of these leagues and coaches. It also allows them to play in a different scheme that may fit their skill set differently, allowing them to improve parts of their game that they hadn’t needed to utilise as part of the Academy scheme.
So why aren’t players in the academy playing for Britain? This could also be a multitude of factors that are individual to each player. Firstly, the trial system that is executed through the international off season isn’t always accessible, I know from personal experience in the set up that traveling for camps or try outs is difficult and very expensive. I was put into a position where I had to pay into the high hundreds to cover trains, buses, hotels, and fees. In addition, I came from a larger city, so players in Loughborough or surrounding areas would have more trouble than I did at that age. Secondly, the lack of a professional league in the country means that they don’t necessarily need to impress anyone on the coaching staff considering they’re already at the highest place that they can play in U19 football, not only in Britain but in Europe. I also personally believe that GB struggles with a national pride problem over the last few years, this isn’t a political piece but its clear to see that Britain isn’t exactly a unified and consolidated country as of now.
Other than geopolitical and geographical hurdles, is Britain operating to it’s fullest potential for American football? For that I would say no, the lack of eleven against eleven, even in U19, leaves the country behind rivals such as Germany and Finland who operate full games as early as U16. Meaning the quality of players are lower, in turn, turning away prospects who want to play with the best level. To quote a prominent figure of football in Britain, “Players stay in a program that they feel gives them value” and Britain isn’t giving as much value as it could for these young athletes. As for disfunction, I am in no position to speak on the inner workings of the youth set up as I am not affiliated with the program. However, from research done with players and staff, there was complaints over certain areas of the team. For my last point, is the competition worth playing at an international level? In my opinion, I would say yes, the players on Austria, Germany, Sweden are naturally a high level than club teams within the countries, like the Unicorns and Panthers. Of course, they aren’t to a level of IMG and possible future unconfirmed fixtures, but they give players more of a test than is available in a club setting.
Overall, for players who are on the rotation, want more time to develop in-game instincts, need more tape against high competition or even just want more games during the calendar year, Great Britain could be a viable option. But Britain also has to make the steps in order to attract these players into the program, they have to provide value, accessibility and opportunities that are exclusive to international play. Once again, every player’s situation is different, rest, schedule conflict, NCAA interest and personal choice all play a part in a player’s decision-making. Considering that the Academy is the unanimous best U19 team by most members of the European community, it would be interesting to see how they would stack up in a different system and on a stage that is unique to Europe.
If this is something that has interested you, U19 GB are taking applications as of right now. Click the link to fill out and apply.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfjPeaFqmVTYlQKQU49G0PhDhQeNC6ZBH9D3TXFaT_vCf2KbQ/viewform