A thriving American Football club based in Darlington is set to give more local young people the chance to try out the sport thanks to a four-figure grant from regional employer the Banks Group.
Darlington Steam runs a number of teams that play both full contact league games and five-a-side, non-contact ‘flag football’ matches against opponents from across the country, and is the only club of its type between Newcastle and Leeds.
To help spread the word about everything their sport offers, the club is using a £2,000 Banks Community Fund grant to bring in a range of new equipment which new players can use when they come along to a try-out session.
The grant is also funding training and development courses which will help increase the number of qualified coaches that the club has on its books, so that it can continue to bring along both current players and new recruits.
And with the Seattle Seahawks beating the New England Patriots in last weekend’s Superbowl XI, the club is hoping to benefit from the increased visibility that American Football is currently enjoying in the UK.
Founded in 2013, Darlington Steam runs a senior side and four age group teams, with more than 55 junior players now on its academy’s books.
It draws players from across County Durham, Darlington and the surrounding towns and villages, and holds training sessions every weekend at Darlington’s South Park.
Several of its players have earned representative honours with Team North and Team GB over the years, with some going on to win places in the American college system and to play professionally in Norway, Germany and elsewhere.
Lee Kelly, youth team head coach at Darlington Steam, says: ”As well as being a great sport in itself and really good for physical fitness, we find that it makes a very positive impact for many of our young players in terms of self-discipline, focus and self-confidence.
“The technical aspects of the sport mean they need to learn to concentrate when that might not be easy for them in other situations, and we want to share these benefits as widely as we can.
“Everyone can enjoy playing at their own level, and if they want to get serious about playing the sport on a bigger stage, our coaches can equip them with the skills and knowledge they need to have a chance to do so.
“Some of the equipment that’s needed for the game can be quite expensive, and Banks’ generous support for the club will mean we’re able to keep it as accessible as possible for anyone who wants to give it a go.”
Banks is the business behind the proposed Beaumont Hill residential development to the north of Darlington, which would see up to 600 homes on a 35-hectare site to the south of the River Skerne that identified for residential development in the 2022 Darlington Borough Local Plan.
Substantial areas of public open space, a small retail convenience store unit and a range of biodiversity enhancements also feature in the project design.
Kate Culverhouse, community relations manager at the Banks Group, adds: “Darlington Steam already gives dozens of local young people the chance to try, learn about and succeed at this exciting sport, and we’re very pleased to be backing the ambitions of this excellent community sports club to do even more.”
To find out more about playing opportunities with Darlington Steam, visit https://darlingtonsteam.com/ or contact the club via its Facebook or Instagram pages.
The Banks Group’s community funds are independently managed by Point North (formerly the County Durham Community Foundation).
Anyone from a community close to a Banks Group project who is interested in applying for funding from the Banks Community Fund should contact the company via its website enquiry form (www.banksgroup.co.uk/contact-us/) to find out if their group or project is eligible.