The British American Football Coaches Association (BAFCA) welcomed the IFAF Coaching Development Tour as they celebrated the 15th BAFCA Convention over the weekend at the University of Leicester in Leicester, England.
BAFCA membership is at an all-time high with approximately 500 members and the convention attendance was up 75 percent from last year, according to BAFCA President Jim Messenger. Coaches traveled from throughout the UK and Ireland for what Messenger describes as one of the most successful conventions to date.
"This year's event was outstanding. The level of presentations and spread of content by the coaches was great," said Messenger. "We're looking forward to continued development as an association to provide our members with the highest quality of education possible. The opportunity to work with IFAF and USA Football is a positive step in that direction."
Darrin O'Toole, Head Coach at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, traveled hundreds of miles to the convention for the first time.
"This was my first trip to the BAFCA Convention and I was really impressed with the attention these coaches gave to the fundamentals of the game. Youth football is starting to develop more in Ireland and coaches need to have the capacity to teach the fundamentals for the sport to grow," said O'Toole.
While O'Toole came a long way to attend the convention, local University of Leicester Defensive Backs coach James Shaw only had to drive minutes from his home for the experience.
"The past three days of learning from experienced coaches has made me a better coach. I found the opportunity to approach the coaches and pick their brains after the presentations to be most valuable. I'm definitely looking forward to transitioning what I've learned here this weekend to the practice field with my players," said Shaw.
The participation and popularity of American football in the UK is in the midst of a renaissance following a boom and bust during the 80's and early 90's. The 80's saw NFL games regularly shown on terrestrial television, exposing millions of people to the sport and drawing thousands more to participate.
"Football was a novelty back in the 80's," said Rik Ayub, Head Coach of the GB Lions, "the sport was on television and people wanted to be involved. The infrastructure to support the sport wasn't developed and many people left the sport as quickly as they'd started."
With the NFL committed to staging regular season games in London the next three years, the British American Football Association (BAFA) has entered a new era in the development of the sport, and this time around the infrastructure has been building for the past eight years.
"Right now is a very exciting time for British football," said Simon Newnham, BAFA Performance Director, "we have an increased commitment from all of the stakeholders in the UK and a great opportunity to maximize the dev1elopment of the domestic game through the NFL International Series."
BAFCA is the only football coaches association in Europe and is serving a pivotal role in developing well educated coaches across the UK. With more experienced coaches in the UK, like former NFL Europe national coach and BAFCA Vice President Steve McCusker, BAFCA is able to pull resources and provide its members with a network of coaches that is unique to its European counterparts.
"The future of football in the UK is at the youth and junior levels," said McCusker. "We are focused on providing our coaches with the proper tools and fundamentals to teach the game to the kids."
There is no question the sport is ready for another boom like the one experienced during the 80's. This time around, organizations like BAFA and BAFCA are being proactive to ensure sustainability and steady growth for the future of football in the UK.