Uniball – It’s Just Not Cricket Old Chap!
The A Level Results Are In And All Over The Country Young Scholars Are Deliberating Over Which University To Go To. Interestingly, Some Of Them Will Be Basing Their Decision On The Strength Of The American Football Programme. Generally, These Will Be The Individuals Who Have Played Junior Ball. In The British Universities Competitive Sports League For Football, There Are Ten Elite Level Programmes That Make Up The Premier North And South Divisions, Beyond That, There Are More Than Seventy Others To Choose From. New Players Are Recruited Via Fresher’s Fares, Eager Team Reps And Taster Sessions.
For those who embark on their football journey, there is a steep learning curve to navigate. Understanding the rules, player positions, football’s own special language and at a basic level, how to put your kit on! The rewards though, are great. The camaraderie, that feeling of belonging when you are away from home for the first time. Catching that pass, making that tackle or block, scoring that touchdown, special times!
Given that these guys are at University due to their intellectual superiority, there is a level of intelligence that should mean they can understand new concepts and pick things up relatively quickly. However, with term starting at the end of September and the first games being played in early November, the coaches only have just over a month to transition them from total rookie, to game ready player, it’s a big ask!
Running a successful university football programme is not easy. A number of elements need to come together. A dedicated group of coaches, a squad of committed players and perhaps most importantly, a supportive athletic union within the university. Some programmes are made up of players who are just happy to have the opportunity to play, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. For them winning isn’t everything, in fact it’s a bit of a novelty. The three tier structure of the league provides for teams to develop over time and move up the pyramid to the afore mentioned premier divisions. Promotion and relegation happen each year, but success in one season is no guarantee of continued achievement.
The natural cycle of study and graduation leads to regular player turn-over, and history will show you that powerhouse teams that get promoted are often at the zenith of their prowess with experienced personnel, and the subsequent season can all too quickly lead to relegation.
As we are dealing with establishments that represent the epitome of British educational tradition you would expect the concepts of fairness and a level playing field to be utmost, however, some programmes are particularly focused on the “C” in the BUCS acronym. They will utilise the opportunity available to them within the system to “recruit” numerous scholarship athletes from abroad (mainly from the USA) to help populate their teams, as they look to secure valuable BUCS ranking points and that prestigious title of top university programme. This approach requires the support of a “progressive” athletic union, these however are in limited supply. Some of the universities are so “traditional” in their approach to sports, that the American Football teams are not even allowed to have the usual Football style team nicknames, they have catchy titles like “…..
University students American Football Team”. Most Uni teams have links to the local adult team, either through the coaches or by players gaining extra experience in the summer months, providing the senior teams with a stream of developed talent. So if you want, you can play all year round.
If you are looking to take in some Football action over the winter months, you would do well to visit your local campus and experience some British Collegiate action. If you’ve not been to a Uniball game before, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the level of play, the standard in the Premier division is equal to a lot of teams in the senior leagues.
Uniball then, certainly isn’t cricket old chap! But hey, we wouldn’t want it to be!