For the fourth consecutive year, American Football Worldwide has toured their ELITE team of high school senior football players to participate in an international exhibition game this year returning to Italy to compete against their U19 national team. The game takes place this Saturday, March 26th in Bergamo, Italy home of the Bergamo Lions American football club.
American Football Worldwide’s ELITE team comes from a true cross-section of the United States and represents every region of the country. Hailing from coast-to-coast, 20 different states are represented on the 33-man roster. During the team’s trip abroad, the team has practiced daily, with the remaining time invested visiting, learning about and experiencing the culture of one of the most fascinating and historically significant countries in western civilization.
While in Rome, the team managed to squeeze in a scrimmage against one of Italy’s top teams, the Lazio Marines, who are based in Rome.
The team and tour party have traveled from Rome to the tip of Lake Como just north of Milan. AFW ELITE Head Coach Jim Barnes commented, “Observing these young men grow from the unique education that only international travel can offer has once again been the most rewarding aspect of the tour. Each day has held a couple of special life-expanding experiences for them.”
“Observing these young men grow from the unique education that only international travel can offer has once again been the most rewarding aspect of the tour. Each day has held a couple of special life-expanding experiences for them.”
AFW U19 team in action against Team France
Intermixed with the immense educational value of the trip, the team has worked to find common ground in terminology and football schemes as well as in putting together a formidable game plan for their Italian hosts.
“Meeting one another for the first time and installing a well-coordinated game plan in all phases of football in four practices has been a challenge,” said Barnes. “However, our staff is excited about the potential for this team. During our journey they have bonded closer through our unique shared experiences. It is exciting to think about how unified and inspired our ELITE team will be running out to take the field to represent the USA and our great game of American football.”
This game against the Italian national U19 team is the fourth annual clash between AFW ELITE and American football teams in Europe. The contest in March will also be a rematch of last year’s game when the ELITE defense dominated scoring three times in leading the United States representative team to a convincing victory.
Prior to the 2015 tour to Italy, AFW ELITE traveled to and competed in France in back-to-back years. In March of 2013, after a week of practicing and touring Paris, Versailles, Mont St. Michel and D-Day sights in Normandy AFW ELITE defeated France’s U19 national team 19-0. Les Blues had recently finished sixth in the U19 World Championships of American Football sponsored by IFAF, the International Federation of American Football.
In March of 2014, AFW ELITE returned to France for a similar educational and cultural tour executing very well in defeating the defending national champion U19 team of France, the Paris Flash, 50-0.