14 Leeds American Football Academy players selected for Great Britain trials

14 players from the Leeds Academy of American Football club have been selected for Great Britain’s (2 Under -19s and 12 Under-17s) training camp this month.

All 14 players were introduced to playing American Football as part of Leeds Beckett University’s Junior Sports Academy.

The players have since progressed and now compete for Leeds Academy’s competitive side - The Assassins – where Beckett American Football coach Dale Bottomley oversees a dedicated and passionate group of student and volunteer coaches.

Coach Dale has been heavily influential in their progression, having also coached the players in the Junior Sports Academy.

Dale is unbelievably proud of his players and of the strength of his programmes – with The Assassin’s providing the highest number of selected players for this year’s trials.

“It's fantastic to see young players based at the Carnegie Junior American football programme achieve success.

“The selection of fourteen players to the National camps is the highest from a single team in Great Britain - the student and volunteer coaches should take great pride in this.”

The trials took place across the UK - in Coventry, London, Sheffield and Scotland - with successful trialists going on to take part in the squad’s May and June training camps and competing for a spot on the travelling team to play in a European competition.

Carnegie Junior Sports Academy Testimonial

13 Year Old Oliver Williams was one of the players selected to take part in the Great Britain training camps.

Having only started out in the sport in August 2017, Oliver has made tremendous progress and, despite being only 13, was invited along to the trials.

His father, Jack, spoke with Beckett about Oliver’s journey and how the Carnegie Junior Sports Academy helped his son achieve his dreams.

“Oliver’s first experience of American Football was at Leeds Beckett’s summer camp last year. He thoroughly enjoyed the experience of learning to play a sport he had only watched on television before then.

Oliver began to train with the U17 squad and came home every week full of excitement and determination. He was encouraged to apply for the Under 17 GB trials and was selected for the squad - despite being only 13 years old - to train this summer.

It was certainly the inspiration from Coaches Dale, Will and all of the others at Beckett that inspired him to succeed.

Oliver has decided that he wants to either go to College in America or apply to Leeds Beckett University when he’s older.”

Congratulations to all of the players selected for the squad, full list of trialists available below

Dylan Walsh

Ethan Clifton

Findlay McKeown

Gabriel Vassel

Harry Peach

Jamie McCormick

Krishan Johnson

Luke Pilling

Noah Roy

Oliver Williams

Oscar Devos

Romelle Dacosta

Teddy Hope

Zak Thompson