A critical piece and player for the men’s and women’s Flag Football Olympic teams is the quarterback and Gridiron Australia is out to discover the next Tom Brady.
Earlier in 2023 Carl Jennings, Founder of Super 6 High Performance, combined with Gridiron Australia for a tackle football Talent ID program called The Search, a nationwide NFL style that included Western Sydney. The Search has already secured multiple football scholarships to attend University in the USA.
Flag Football is a different game that is all about speed, agility, passing and catching and central to that is the Quarterback. Mr Jennings pitched the idea to Gridiron Australia CEO, Wade Kelly, that the Super 6 Blacktown City Youth Games could provide an ideal Quarterback Talent ID mechanism.
“One of the disciplines for the Games was a throwing action and in a lightbulb moment I thought to combine the Youth Games with my affiliation with Gridiron Australia,” said Youth Games Founder, Carl Jennings.
“Throwing a ball for distance and accuracy is a skill that we were looking to include in the Youth Games and combining with Gridiron Australia has provided a double win.”
Gridiron Australia CEO, Wade Kelly, took the call from Carl Jennings and quickly saw the potential to assist Flag Football in their search for Quarterbacks.
“Australian athletes are built for Flag Football. Speed, agility and catching a ball is AFL, Netball, Basketball, League, Union, Oztag and Touch. But throwing an American Football is a unique skill and not often taught in the Australian sport landscape.
“I’m excited to see the talent of Western Sydney take the opportunity to become our next Australian Male and Female Olympic Quarterbacks,” said CEO Kelly.
“Especially exciting, is the prospect of Super 6 and the Youth Games program expanding to other LGA’s right around the country.”
Super 6 High Performance has been working with Blacktown Council to resurrect the Blacktown City Games. The result is the 2024 Super 6 Blacktown City Youth Games, an initiative that will identify young male and female athletes from all sports, all ages and all levels of ability.
“Blacktown will host this unique event that invites all young athletes from all sports across the city of Blacktown. Blacktown Council takes pride as a sporting city and the Youth Games epitomises that endeavour. Adding a new Olympic sport like Flag Football to the mix is an exciting development”, said Super 6 Chairman Bob Turner
The Super 6 Blacktown City Youth Games will be staged at the athletics facility at the World Class ‘Blacktown Exercise, Science & Technology’ Hub (BEST), opened on the 19th of November by Cathy Freeman.
“The Games will be a celebration of youth within the Blacktown community, with young athletes and volunteers united in a common cause to deliver an exceptional event that all of Blacktown can be proud of,” said Turner.
The Blacktown News is the proud media partner for the Blacktown City games.
