This summer, Global Sports Partners partnered with the Bandirma Jets American Football Club to organize and implement an American football skills development camp, from June 30th to July 2nd. GSP Turkey representatives, Brad Mayes and Mark Rexroth, coordinated the camp and were in attendance throughout the three-day event. Seven American football experts from the United States joined them, as well as five local coaches, including Turkey’s American Football national team coach. Collectively, this 12-man staff facilitated the camp in its entirety.
Although the popularity of American football is rapidly growing throughout Turkey, it is still relatively new to the region. Because of this, GSP’s camp was strategically focused on building the general fundamentals of the sport, and included position-specific training as well as train-the-trainers sessions. The goal of the camp was to raise the skill and knowledge levels of the local players and coaches.
The camp was met with tremendous excitement, as over 170 local men participated, including 150 players. Though most of the participants were 18 to 30-year-old players, the age range spanned from 10 to 50, which allowed experts and coaches to teach all levels of the sport from those with coaching experience to the future generation of national team players.
This event was a fantastic experience for all involved, and had many encouraging outcomes. Among these were an increased support for club teams from local community officials, the development of the relationships between players and coaches, and an enjoyable bond between the American and Turkish coaches.
Camp assessments were overwhelmingly positive from participants and administrators alike. Attendees left excited about the future of American football in the area, and very thankful for the opportunity to partner with GSP and its experts. Specifically, the camp received highest praise from the Turkish national team coach, who described the event as “the best American football camp in Turkey in the last 17 years.”
