Meet the local American football team helping put the sport on the map

Manchester Titans women's team are helping to put the sport of American Football on the map, for young females especially, through their fantastic performances this year.

American Football is a growing sport in this country, with over 68 clubs currently competing in the top British Division. This is the BAFA national league, which stands for the British American Football Association. As well as men's contact football, the BAFA runs youth, junior and women's contact football across all age ranges. One of our local American Football teams is the Manchester Titans, who are based in Gorton. Their men’s team are one of the most successful teams in the country and are the only team from the north of England to win the title. But it’s not just the men's side who are having success, the club's women’s side are also doing exceptionally well.

The women’s team were in action just over a month ago at the National Championships in Loughborough, where they finished second, losing to Teeside in the final. They qualified for the championships after a fantastic league campaign and faced off against clubs from all around the country, so picking up a silver medal was a huge achievement for them. The Manchester Titans women’s team manager, Kelly Hopkins only took up the sport 18 months ago, after it was recommended to her by a friend, “My friend told me to come down and give it a go so I went down to one of the taster sessions and I’ve bee a part of the club ever since. “I didn’t know anything about the sport before I joined but the coaches are brilliant and they teach you everything you need to know”, she said.

“The best way I can describe it for those that don’t know, think rugby but with a helmet and pads, and a bit more sexy.”

“It’s great because not only does it help you improve your physical and mental health, you make so many friends through the sport as well”, Kelly added.

As mentioned, American football is a growing sport in the UK and there is still a long way to go before it is made professional, especially in the women’s game. Kelly is hopeful however that the sport can be developed further in the future, “We’re currently at an amateur level but if you look at how far women’s football has come over the past few years, there’s no reason why we can’t replicate that in women’s American football if we get enough support”.

The women’s game has made great strides over the past twelve months as this year was the first year there has been a nine-a-side league set up, in previous years most teams have only had enough players to field a seven-a-side team, so this was a massive achievement. The goal is to eventually have enough players to have an eleven-a-side league, on a national scale, with only local leagues currently existing in the women’s game.

The UK does however have an NFL academy, where students can play American football alongside their degree at Loughborough University, which opens up the possibility for them to obtain a scholarship over in America.

In the men’s game, England have a national American football team, of which the majority of players play for the Manchester Titans, this is thanks to the excellent levels of coaching at the club.

In the women’s team at Manchester Titans, there are currently three players that represent Team GB, one of which was part of the team that won silver at last year’s World Championships. They were the first Team GB side, both men and women, to medal at the Championships and were the first European team to do so, which massively helped to put the team on the map.

The club is open to those of all ages and abilities, with players ranging from age 17 to age 40. Due to the variety of positions on the pitch, there is a role for anyone, regardless of their fitness or body type. Women’s manager Kelly is a perfect example of this, she said, “I’m 40 years old, the oldest player on the team and I do not like running one bit, I wouldn’t even run for the bus if I needed to! “I was concerned before I started that there would be lots of sprinting, but I was able to find a position where I didn’t have to do much running, and this suited me perfectly. “My role is about blocking and defending rather than making runs and scoring touchdowns so whether you are a quick player, a slow player, whether you’re of a bigger build or a more slender build, it doesn’t matter, there is a role for everyone.”

There is also a different women’s league available for those that aren’t ready for full contact, or those that are just starting out. This league is known as the flag football league, in which Manchester Titans have a team. Flag football is a non-contact version of American Football, in which players tackle each other by removing a flag attached to their belt, similar to tag rugby. The sport is more suited to those who aren’t quite ready for the physicality of the regular sport but want to give it a try. Many players on the regular Manchester Titans team started out playing flag football, and after getting a feel for the sport they wanted to move on to the regular team, so it is a great pathway for beginners.

Now is the perfect time to give it a try, with the contact season coming to an end back in August and the flag football season getting underway later this month. The team train every Tuesday at 7:30pm and held their first session a couple of weeks ago, at Belle Vue Stadium. As mentioned, all abilities are welcome, so if you’d like to try out a new sport, get yourself down to one of the sessions. To get in touch with the club, or for more information, drop them a follow on Instagram @manchestertitanswomen