Gridiron Strong

Body prep session for the this morning with .strong Stretch, Hold, Move, Repeat 🔁

📢 Exciting Opportunity at Leeds Beckett University!

We’re recruiting a qualified Sports Therapist, Rehabilitator, or Physiotherapist to support the LBU American Football Team in the BUCS National League.

This role includes a fees funded MRes and the chance to conduct impactful research on injury epidemiology and athletic identity in British American football.

🗓️ Apply by: 19 June 2025
📧 Contact: [email protected]

Flag and tackle football players wanted!🚨

⬇️

We value your participation in an anonymous online survey which has ethical approval from Leeds Beckett University. This study looks to understand players views and attitudes on current medical provision across flag and tackle football in the UK 🇬🇧

Eligibility: If you’re a registered member of BAFA and/or have played tackle or flag football within the UK in the last two years you are able to take part.

To take part, follow the link below or scan the QR code 📲 Further information regarding the study can be found there.

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected]

Thank you in advance 🙏🏼

Survey link 👉🏼 https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/school-of-health/understanding-players-views-and-attitudes-on-current-medical-pr

Great Britain Women are European Champions 🥇🇬🇧🏈

What a tournament! 🤩

These ladies are absolutely incredible and are so deserving of this win 🏆

I am so grateful to work with such an unbelievable team of players and staff who have so much love for the game, work so incredibly hard on & off the field and who are so much fun to be around.

To the team - thank you for making my job so enjoyable 👏🏼 It’s an absolute pleasure working with you all 🏈

Onto worlds 🌍

📸
🏈

Our injury survey closes on the 23rd June.

If you played university American Football during the 2022/23 season and had an injury you are eligible to participate.

Please complete the survey here 👉 https://leedsbeckettmhr.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ebzn0fEBCvFrCEC?Q_CHL=qr

🚨 University American Football Athletes Wanted!🚨

Injury audit of British Universities and Colleges Sport 2022/23 season.
⬇️
We value your participation in an anonymous online survey which has approval from Leeds Beckett University. Through this collaborative study with BUCS, researchers seek to estimate the prevalence of injuries across UK university American Football 🏈

If you were a member of a university American Football team competing in during the 2022/23 season you are eligible to take part.

To take part, follow the link below or scan the QR code 📲Further information regarding the study can be found here.

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected]

https://leedsbeckettmhr.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ebzn0fEBCvFrCEC

🏈 MEDICAL PERSONNEL AND PROVISION IN BRITISH UNIVERSITY AMERICAN FOOTBALL 🏈

Key findings

🔑 Less than half of participating teams had access to a regular team first aider.
🔑 Teams lack confidence in some hired first aiders.
🔑 There is a shortage of suitably qualified first aid staff to cover events, with some cover being deemed too costly.
🔑 There is no relationship between division and access to a regular team first aider.

What’s the issue?

➡️ Appropriate medical provision is fundamental to the outcome of medical emergencies and injuries.
➡️ It is unfair and potentially unsafe to rely on coaching staff to act as primary first aiders. If a player becomes injured the coach then has competing priorities e.g. team performance vs athlete welfare.
➡️ It’s unknown if student first aiders are acting unsupervised, however this practice puts the individual at risk of working outside of their insured scope of practice.
➡️ Few teams know the qualifications of the personnel they hire. This could suggest they are hiring those without the correct qualifications to safely cover a game or training session.

So what?
➡️ More first aiders with experience of the game is needed to ensure they hold the confidence of teams.
➡️ Institutions need to invest in the correct medical support on game days and training to ensure the highest standards of player welfare are met.
➡️ University teams should be more involved in the hiring of first aid staff.

Reference
Travis, E.L., Scott-Bell, A. & Thornton, C. A national survey of clubs medical provision and facilities in BUCS American Football 2019–2020. Ir J Med Sci (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-022-03201-9

S O M A N Y R E S O U R C E S 🙌

Thank you .strong for sharing! 🙌

🏈NEW BLOG POST🏈

Find our more about the GB women's flag football development day on the Gridiron Strong website📲

GB flag athlete Kellie Barrett tells us what you can expect on the day and how to get involved 👏

The Great Britain Women’s Flag Football Development Day - Gridiron Strong Two weekends ago, the Great Britain women’s flag football team ran their second development day, with more in the pipeline!

Is your team ready for a catastrophic emergency? 🚨

Following last nights NFL game which saw Damar Hamlin collapse it is important that we reflect on what medical provision we have in place to ensure we can spring into
action should catastrophic injuries
occur either on game day or during
a training session.

Take a read of the latest .strong post which outlines simple steps you can take to prepare for a cardiac arrest 🚨

I wish the very best for Damar Hamlin’s recovery 🙏🏼

On Saturday 28th January the GB Women's Flag National Programme will be hosting a Development Day at Forest Academy Air Dome in Wokingham.

This is an open session providing members of the BAFA Flag Football Community to get involved with the Women's Flag National Programme, get in front of the GB coaching staff and get tips on how to improve your game.

For more information and to register for the event please see: https://playwaze.com/bafa-flag-football-competitions/9x23mz22w2cr/session-display?eventId=PhysicalEvents/39431-A