Mr Crook’s Touchdown

By Alex Watson

Whilst most are familiar with American football, its non-contact counterpart is recognised by far fewer. American flag football is a sport which has significantly grown in coverage and popularity over the last few years, with an article in The Guardian describing how it has ‘gone berserk’ and ‘is rapidly catching on in the UK with a surge in the number of schools involved.’ It’s also set to be introduced as a new event at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Hampton’s very own Outdoor Activities Specialist Mr Tom Crook has enjoyed plenty of success in the game since he started playing just a year and a half ago, from competing in international tournaments to trialling for Great Britain. “The pace of it is what I enjoy,” he explains. “There are no big offensive or defensive lines, it’s just all the quick and agile players. It’s all about your speed in getting that first step on the defender.”

Likening the sport to Rugby Sevens, he adds that the game is also somewhat knowledge-based. “A lot of thinking goes into where you’re running to try and catch the ball,” he observes, “and you have to take into account where both you and all the rest of your team are, particularly if your defender’s covering you well and you need to change route.”

Mr Crook’s fantastic experiences playing flag football perfectly illustrate the excitement and opportunity that playing any sport can bring. His team, London Smoke, have competed in international tournaments across Europe, even playing in an equivalent to the football Champions League in Croatia. This was comprised of the top teams in leagues around the world, with London Smoke eventually finishing in a highly impressive third place.

He particularly remembers his team’s 61-59 win, one of the highest-scoring games in the tournament, against German side Walldorf Wanderers, who went on to win the competition, with the two teams “going back-to-back and scoring pretty much every try.” In comparison, Mr Crook estimates that “in your average match there will be about 40 to 50 points.”

“My favourite match was probably one in Copenhagen, against essentially the German national team.”

He goes on to say, “I scored on a couple of plays, including a good hitch and go route where I faked the player inside.”

“Interest and accessibility have grown massively,” he remarks. “I definitely think it will become more popular. Even this year, there’s a restructuring of the UK flag league to get more competitive games, increasing the pyramid structure, and women playing as well. There are even competitions for schools to play in.”

Reflecting on his chances of playing in the next Olympics, Mr Crook admits that. “It’s a possibility. There are trials each year, and they expand, because they’ve got two teams playing. I don’t know; we’ll have a look and see where things take me.”

Another upside to flag football is the fact that anyone can play it. “In my team, we’ve got four or five players that are in the national squad,” he explains, “and they all come from different jobs. You’ve got some people who are personal trainers, some like myself who work in schools, others are CEOs of companies; there’s so much variety. It’s a very accessible sport; your job doesn’t really matter.”

Mr Crook was keen to recommend American flag football to Hamptonians, particularly because unlike real American football, it doesn’t require too much kit. “You can actually pick it up quite easily – you don’t need a pair of gloves or a pair of boots. All you need is ten people for a game. It’s something new and interesting for you to try,” he encourages.

It’s clear that the future of American flag football is a promising one: both for the sport in general, for Mr Crook, and hopefully for pupils around the world.