This week we will be taking a closer look at how games work, what the falcons do prepare for fixtures and how the fans support the team.
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00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:02 Hello, and welcome to Limitless Rise of the Falcons.
00:24 I'm Daniel Anonu, and this week, we'll
00:26 be taking a closer look at how games work, what the Falcons do
00:29 to prepare for fixtures, and how the fans support the team.
00:33 But first, this week, let's look at the typical structure
00:35 of a game.
00:37 A game has two quarters in the first half, a halftime,
00:40 then two quarters in the second half.
00:42 There is also a coin toss at the start of the game
00:45 to decide who gets possession of the ball,
00:47 and then the winner will choose who kicks.
00:49 The opening kickoff is when one team
00:50 kicks the ball towards the other team's side.
00:52 Then the receiving team will gain possession of the ball
00:55 to start the game.
00:56 At big games like the Super Bowl during halftime,
00:58 there is a show to entertain the audience
01:00 while the team strategizes for the second half.
01:02 And after the game, both teams pat and shake hands
01:05 with each other.
01:06 And overall, a game should last around 60 minutes
01:08 with two 30-minute halves.
01:11 Now, a big part of what makes American football so special
01:14 is the atmosphere created by the fans that
01:16 go to support their teams and give them the extra energy
01:18 to push themselves on the field.
01:20 Jay Lorenzo went to speak to some fans
01:22 about their love of the game and their team.
01:24 When coming to watch the Camp Falcons play,
01:27 the one thing you'll instantly be blown away by
01:29 is the atmosphere.
01:30 The fans at these games always come in large numbers,
01:32 creating a booming environment.
01:35 I asked a few of the fans what made
01:37 them interested in the sport, especially when
01:39 it comes to Camp Falcons.
01:40 My friend used to play for Falcons.
01:42 At the moment, he's not playing for them anymore.
01:44 Since his third year, he's trying to graduate,
01:47 focusing on his uni.
01:49 So going to see him at games, that's
01:52 what initially made me fall in love with the Camp Falcons.
01:55 And it's the way the team play to win.
01:57 Like, you never see someone lazing about.
01:59 The team is always trying to make sure they get that win
02:02 to show and represent the Union of Kent.
02:06 I think being part of cheer made me learn more
02:10 about American football, which I didn't know before.
02:13 When we had a little social with them,
02:16 it made me learn more about American football.
02:20 So before coming to university, I've
02:22 never heard of American football, never followed it,
02:24 didn't know what it entailed at all.
02:27 So in my second year, I came along
02:29 to a few of the game days of the cheerleading squad
02:33 and kind of got into it.
02:35 And it wasn't until this year that I could say that I really
02:38 love the sport.
02:38 And watching the Falcons play, I've
02:40 been to their away games, their home games.
02:42 And it's just something that I really enjoy.
02:46 I then asked what it means to be part of the team's
02:48 culture and success.
02:50 Sometimes we have socials with the Falcons.
02:53 And we get a chance to talk to each other
02:57 and get to know each other in a more friendly and relaxed
03:01 environment.
03:02 Having moral support and that energy
03:05 in a game such as American football
03:07 is really important to keep the spirit up.
03:11 I always show up to every single game.
03:13 Whenever they have a game, I'm always
03:15 promoting the games on Instagram so more people can come up.
03:18 And I'm always cheering them on.
03:20 The atmosphere is amazing.
03:21 I continued by asking them why more people should
03:24 watch the Kent Falcons.
03:26 The Falcons are a family.
03:27 And you see that while you're watching the game.
03:29 You see their support.
03:30 You see how they uplift each other.
03:32 And it's really nice to watch, especially
03:34 when the senior players are cheering on for the rookies.
03:37 And when they get their first play
03:38 or they're just getting game time,
03:40 they're really supportive.
03:41 People should watch the Kent Falcons
03:43 because it's really fun to watch.
03:46 And the energy is always there.
03:49 I think that the sport has really grown on me.
03:52 Our team, especially, is very talented.
03:56 They've won quite a few titles.
03:58 So that's really fun to watch.
04:01 I ended by asking the fans to describe what
04:03 the atmosphere is like at games.
04:05 The atmosphere in the game is kind of tense
04:09 because you never know if they're going to score or not.
04:14 But at the same time, it's really fun just cheering them
04:17 on.
04:18 I love the atmosphere here.
04:19 When we win, we celebrate together.
04:21 But when we lose, we also--
04:23 we know as a family, we stay together and we bond.
04:27 So it happens insane.
04:29 The fact that everyone is there supporting the team,
04:32 helping them, carrying them towards that win,
04:35 it means that without the support,
04:37 the team won't be able to succeed.
04:39 Electric.
04:40 It's like whenever I'm watching a game,
04:43 it's as if I'm in the game myself.
04:45 Like, I'm feeling the pressure.
04:47 Like, whenever they score a touchdown,
04:49 I'm elevated.
04:51 Everyone's bumbling with energy.
04:52 Everyone's determined based on if they're
04:54 winning or losing a game.
04:56 But that isn't the same for the Falcons.
04:57 The Falcons make the most of it.
04:59 Even if they're losing, they're still
05:00 encouraging each other.
05:01 They're still trying to get the best they can.
05:03 And that's what makes you want to go,
05:05 because you see the support and how they just uplift each other.
05:09 Being a fan is more than just cheering a team and supporting.
05:13 It's also about creating an environment where the players
05:16 feel pushed and driven.
05:17 Being a fan allows you to be part of a family.
05:20 And here at the Falcons, the fans
05:22 are a crucial part of the team.
05:25 Now that we've seen what it's like to be
05:28 a fan of American football, let's
05:29 take a closer look at the players' perspective
05:31 to understand what it's like to be a member of the team
05:33 on a typical game day.
05:35 Jack Darkin has more.
05:36 American football is a rising sport in the UK.
05:39 But how does it actually feel to play the sport?
05:42 Let's take a deeper dive into the players' perspective
05:44 from the moment they wake up to the end of the game.
05:47 So firstly, when I wake up on game day,
05:50 obviously you get ready, shower.
05:52 And then whilst eating, I watch some last minute game
05:56 film of the opposition, for example,
05:58 and just go on my final game notes
06:00 so that if anyone else has questions to ask,
06:02 I can answer them.
06:03 I like to prepare myself a nutritious meal.
06:06 Also just make sure my vitamins are up, my water is up.
06:09 Of course, you want to make sure you have enough energy.
06:11 When eating, I try to eat either rice or pasta,
06:14 which is a lot of carbs because you expend a lot of energy
06:16 over the time period of a game day.
06:18 So I think that's very important.
06:20 After their morning routines, the players head to the pitch
06:22 to begin their pre-game warm-ups
06:24 and receive their tactics from the coaches.
06:26 And we get to the pavilion about two and a half hours
06:28 before kickoff.
06:29 And then we do a team stretch and a warm-up.
06:33 And then after the team stretch and warm-up,
06:35 we divide ourselves into our positional groups.
06:38 So for instance, like wide receivers
06:40 would go and catch balls, or cornerbacks and safeties
06:43 would learn how to defend deep passes
06:45 and running backs would practice their run gaps.
06:48 After all their preparations
06:49 and weeks of hard work and training,
06:51 it's time for kickoff.
06:53 Playing a sport with such a high intensity
06:55 comes with an immense amount of pressure,
06:57 but how exactly do the players deal
06:59 with the stress of it all?
07:00 When we come off and the offense comes on,
07:02 I'd take a step back and like,
07:04 firstly, not let the moment get bigger than it is.
07:06 If it's a high intensity game where you get tied a lot,
07:10 we have a thing, we do rotations.
07:12 That's why we have like really massive squads.
07:15 Like I think we have over 50 people,
07:16 even though there's like only 22 starters,
07:19 because it's very physical and it's very intense.
07:22 At halftime, the Falcons are given instructions
07:24 from their coaching staff to rethink strategies
07:26 depending on how the game is going
07:28 and to regroup, reorganize and go again in the second half.
07:32 Depending, the game could be going not so well
07:34 or the game could be going really well.
07:36 So the coaches would give us advice
07:37 on how to prepare for the second half.
07:40 And then players would also give their own opinions
07:43 on how the game's going and what we need to do.
07:46 And it's mainly just so we don't lose focus
07:48 or we rile ourselves up and believe,
07:51 because we believe that we can win any game at any point.
07:53 So whether we're winning or losing,
07:56 the mentality is still the same, stay focused.
07:58 And then just finish the game strongly.
08:01 Immediately after full time,
08:02 the players and coaches shake hands with the opposition.
08:05 They then huddle together in a circle
08:07 to say three cheers to their fans,
08:09 opponents and to themselves.
08:10 At the end of a game, no matter what the result,
08:17 the team meet up at one of the university's
08:19 most popular social hubs.
08:21 Of course, what we like to do is we go
08:24 to our favourite place, Woody's.
08:25 It's just right next to the venue where we play.
08:28 People just like to socialize, have a drink,
08:30 I guess, like cool off.
08:32 And then I think we do it because it's like,
08:33 it's pretty important for team bonding.
08:36 So like, we're not lost, like,
08:37 so our team doesn't become too fractured
08:39 and we stay as a whole unit,
08:40 which I think we did really well this year.
08:43 After each game, the team has a special rule it follows
08:46 to maintain discipline and emotions.
08:48 This is the 24 hour rule,
08:49 where players can be happy or sad about a game,
08:52 but only for 24 hours.
08:54 And it happens after every game.
08:56 And it's, what we do is we like, we just say,
08:59 look, whatever's happened has happened.
09:02 Now you have 24 hours to deal with your emotions.
09:05 Whether it's a win or loss, you can be really sad
09:07 or really happy about it for as long as you want,
09:10 for 24 hours.
09:12 And then after 24 hours, when training starts again
09:14 on Monday evening, we come in with like a fresh mindset.
09:18 - Now we know what it looks like to be an American footballer
09:21 for the Kent Falcons and how their day looks on game day.
09:24 - And now it's time for Tony Teaches,
09:27 where we learn fundamental manoeuvres of the game
09:29 with our resident running back, Tony Mizunichita.
09:32 This week, he took us through blocking
09:34 with the Kent Falcons offensive lineman, Craig Dibble.
09:37 Let's take a look.
09:38 - Hello, and welcome back to Tony Teaches.
09:40 This week, I'm joined with Kent Falcons O-lineman,
09:43 Craig Dibble, and we'll be going through blocking.
09:45 Now, let's break it down.
09:47 When it comes to blocking, you want to be low
09:49 and drive up with your legs,
09:50 chopping as you take your steps towards the opponent,
09:52 giving you leverage and driving the player up
09:55 and off balance.
09:55 With your hands, you want to hit the inside of the player,
09:57 hitting his chest, avoiding the shoulder pads
10:00 with your elbows up, driving the player up
10:02 and taking him off his heels
10:04 and pushing him back away from the play.
10:06 Now, that's how you block.
10:07 Also this week, I sat down with Craig
10:09 to get an insight into why he chose to play American football
10:12 and what he wants to do after university.
10:14 ♪ Who to go, who to go, who to go, who to go ♪
10:18 - So I've been a Falcon for three seasons now.
10:20 When I come to uni, I'll be brutally honest,
10:23 I didn't want to play the sport.
10:24 I didn't have intention of playing the sport.
10:26 I was walking through the Freshers' Fair
10:27 and I just got picked up.
10:28 One of the coaches come up to me and was like,
10:30 "You look great, why don't you come over and play?"
10:31 And I was like, "I've never played it."
10:32 I played at youth, but not at 11 level.
10:34 I thought, "Yeah, why not come over?"
10:35 And that was literally the story of it.
10:37 - And so you've been on the team for three years.
10:39 What's your experience been like
10:40 from your rookie year to now?
10:42 - It's been good.
10:43 It's been a very good experience.
10:45 Taking a step from being a rookie
10:46 up to being a senior player
10:48 and having people look up to you
10:50 rather than me looking up to other people is great.
10:52 Having a sense of leadership in the team
10:53 is definitely great as well.
10:54 There's ups and downs as anything in life,
10:56 but I think definitely one of the most important bit
10:58 was taking a step and having people below you
11:00 and above you that you can look to
11:02 or help be a role model to is definitely one of them.
11:05 - What course do you do?
11:06 And do you have any plans to do anything after university?
11:09 - So I studied my undergrad here
11:10 and that was financial economics.
11:12 And then I'm doing my master's now,
11:14 which is finance and management.
11:16 Once I finish uni, I wanna go into accountancy
11:19 and hopefully set up my own accountancy firm.
11:21 If not, I wanna go down to the equity capital
11:23 asset management side of things.
11:26 - Now we've reached the end zone of today's episode,
11:28 but join us next week
11:29 where we will look at pros and Team GB.
11:32 Now don't forget to catch up on previous episodes
11:34 by visiting kmtv.co.uk
11:37 and following KMTV across your social timelines
11:40 to keep up to date with the latest.
11:42 Thank you so much for watching
11:44 and see you later and see you next week.
11:45 Goodbye.
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