The Olympics are unlike some other carrying competition on the planet. For 16 days, over 300 events representing 35 sports activities and each u . S . A . On the planet compete to take domestic their prized medals, and I actually have looked ahead to watching the Summer Olympics each four years considering the fact that as a ways back as I can do not forget. But there is continually been something missing. One of the US maximum popular sports activities, and a pinnacle 10 sport at some point of the arena, it looks as though address and flag football could be Olympic sports activities by using the 12 months 2024, however issue limitations still stay for that to emerge as a reality. First we’re going to stroll thru some reasons why the road to getting American Football protected into the Olympics has now not been an clean adventure, accompanied by using why we agree with flag football to be the logical solution and desire as a destiny Olympic game.
WHY ISN’T AMERICAN FOOTBALL ALREADY AN OLYMPIC SPORT?
According to a piece of writing by using NFL.Com, the most important logistical troubles going through the game of American Football being included in the Olympics are 3divisjon very similar to that of Rugby. With the huge numbers of contributors on each team, the “gender equality” formats wherein both males and females take part in each game, and the compressed three week time table that could be tough with a extra bodily recreation like football and rugby. Furthermore for American Football, the barrier to access is excessive because of it is value to equip all gamers with pads and gear, and therefor has additionally been slow to undertake in many foreign international locations, particularly of the poorer range.
Knowing all this, it is tough to see how either game might be a good suit for the Summer Olympics. Rugby is a lot like Soccer in that very little is wanted to play the game in phrases of tools and exercise at it is base degree, and has a much larger worldwide following. This among different reasons has currently allowed Rugby to be cleared for the Olympics starting in 2016 by converting the traditional fashion to a less traditional “sevens” format that is quicker paced with much less people, which could help carve a similar path for American Football, or flag soccer extra specially.
TACKLE SAFETY CONCERNS
Even an increasing number of excessive college, college and seasoned teams are starting to reduce the wide variety of touch practices, still wearing the likes of smooth-padded headgear and shoulder pads for delivered protection. But what if we could limit the contact gamers see earlier than high college and middle school whilst also addressing some of the issues for the game related to it being fully familiar into the Olympics?There’s a variety of communicate lately revolving across the safety of address soccer, and not just within the NFL in which concussions are a main challenge. Starting as some distance again because the youth football degree, latest proof has surfaced helping the concept that even brief of a concussion, repeated head affects and collision can manifest in similar mind accidents later in lifestyles for children examined among the a while of 8-thirteen. Many researchers are suggesting children should not be gambling football at all, suggesting that children’ heads are “a bigger a part of their body, and their necks aren’t as strong as adults’ necks. So youngsters may be at a more danger of head and mind accidents than adults.”
DREW BREES BELIEVES FLAG FOOTBALL CAN SAVE FOOTBALL
As of 2015, studies display that flag soccer is the fastest growing youth recreation inside the United States, greatly outpacing the growth of traditional address football. Many individual high schools are making the transfer to flag football over tackle, getting different schools in their areas to follow fit creating organized leagues and divisions. It’s even an officially diagnosed varsity recreation in many states, and with girls in particular flag football is a way to permit simpler participation as opposed to the bodily nature of address.And he’s no longer the handiest one. Recently Drew Brees became interviewed with the aid of Peter King for NBC’s pregame display and had some robust phrases on why he believes flag soccer is the answer. “I sense like flag football can save soccer,” Brees said. Brees coaches his son’s flag soccer group, and performed flag soccer himself via junior high, by no means playing address football till excessive faculty. “I feel like (flag football) is a notable introductory method for plenty of children into football,” Brees noted. “Otherwise I experience it’s very smooth to go in and have a bad experience early on and then no longer want to ever play it again. I feel like after you positioned the pads on there are just so many different elements to the game, and you’re at the mercy of the teach in quite a few instances too. And to be honest, I don’t assume sufficient coaches are well-versed enough in regards to the proper fundamentals of the game specially when the pads pass on on the youth stage.” Many other pro athletes and coaches have expressed comparable sentiments as well, making a song praises for the sport of flag football, and the upward thrust in recognition of the sport echoes that.
Flag soccer isn’t a fluke or only a leisure development tool that feeds into tackle football, it is a complete-fledged movement that has it’s own identity and motive and it’s time we identified that difference.
Internationally it’s miles gaining popularity as nicely, a great deal quicker it appears than traditional American soccer wherein the barrier to access is a good deal higher with the need for full pads and equipment. In Mexico for example, flag football is booming in reputation, in which maximum recall it to be the #2 sport to soccer and ultimate speedy, with and envisioned 2.5 million youngsters participating just on the elementary college level. International groups are starting to make the journey to some of the greater popular American flag football tournaments, with illustration from Panama, Indonesia, Bahamas, Mexico, Canada and extra a common occurrence.
Everywhere you look, participation and hobby in the sport flag football is exploding.
At an adult degree, it turned into a file year for the game of flag football. New principal tournaments are popping up across the world, seeing hundreds of groups competing across all age companies, codecs and patterns. Cash prizes had been at an all time excessive, expected to eclipse over $100,000 in crew giveaways in the next calendar 12 months. Sponsors have began taking word as well, with the likes of EA Sports, Nerf, Hotels.Com, Red Bull and different important manufacturers seeing the price and boom from flag football as a way to efficiently reach their audience in massive numbers. Women’s participation is at an all-time excessive as properly, mirroring it is popularity at the young people level, and is the desired format of play for American soccer in maximum Central to South American international locations.
So how does this all lead returned to the Olympics and getting American soccer blanketed as an reliable recreation? First, allow’s evaluate a touch records on wherein the game stands nowadays with the International Olympic Committee, or IOC.
Historically, In order to be included into the Olympic games as an illustration sport, you have to have an International Federation and have held a World Championship competition. This must take vicinity not less than 6 years earlier than a scheduled Olympic games. The International Federation of American Football, broadly speaking focused on address football but includes flag in it is tournament lineup, met this preferred and become authorised in 2012, and won provisional reputation in 2014. This may want to pave the way for American football to be blanketed as an respectable recreation, and flag football as likely a area of stated recreation, but the IFAF has considering faced setbacks because of alleged scandal, occasion mismanagement and misappropriation of price range that cannot bode properly for the sports activities inclusion quick term. Fortunately in 2007 the IOC followed a brand new, greater bendy rule set permitting packages to be up for assessment after every Olympics starting in 2020, clearing a path for all sports to offer their case for being protected by triumphing a easy majority vote.
So the possibility is there for American soccer to be blanketed within the maximum prestigious carrying event round the world, however how will we overcome the boundaries provided by way of the structure of the game to match the mildew of a a success Olympic carrying occasion?
FLAG FOOTBALL IS THE KEY TO OLYMPIC INCLUSION
For every manner address soccer does not suit the mildew as a logical choice for the IOC, there’s flag football. Here are the pinnacle four motives flag soccer ought to be taken into consideration to be included as the subsequent Olympic game.