As the members of NRW Football we conducted an interview with Travis Brody, head of „Growth of a Game“ a program including a number of highly qualified American Football coaches. We talked about the upcoming camp which will be hosted by „Growth of a Game“ in cologne. Furthermore he told us about his thoughts on how the sport could be improved in Germany, in order to elevate American Football onto a new level of professionality.
NRW Football: How did you get involved with American Football?
Travis Brody: I grew up playing American football in California. I played at Los Alamitos High School and Occidental College as a quarterback and wide receiver before playing in Europe as an import player. In Europe I played for the Brussels Bulls in Belgium from 2008-2010 in addition to coaching on various teams.
NRW Football: In what way is The Growth of a Game camp you and your staff provide an important addition to the regular training inside of a football team?
Travis Brody: We think it’s an excellent opportunity for players to train with some of the best international coaches. We staff our camp with two coaches at each position group to ensure that every player gets excellent feedback and learns a lot over the course of the weekend. Our coaching staff is knowledgeable, engaged, and passionate about developing the sport of American football.The weekend gives players an opportunity to prepare for the upcoming season and make some friends at the same time. It’s fun to connect with other American football players from Germany aswell as surrounding countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, and more.Participating coaches participate in two separate coaches meetings and help facilitate on-field instruction with the players. They will learn new drills and techniques that they can take back with them to their respective teams.
NRW Football: Who is a part of the Coaching staff for the camp in cologne?
Travis Brody: Our camp is headlined by Cody Hawkins, the quarterbacks coach for the US National Team and UC Davis. He’s coached at several of our camps and is really popular with the players. Our position coaches include Spencer Wood (Belgian Barbarians), Niko Chatziamanetoglu (Cologne Crocodiles), Mike Brown, (Gießen Golden Dragons), Wouter van Den Boogard (Dutch Junior Lions), Andreas Brökers (Aachen Vampires), Klaudiusz Cholewinski (Brussels Black Angels), Jörg Mackenthun (Dutch Junior Lions), Joe Sturdivant (Saarland Hurricanes), Georgy Baudart (Amay Atomics), and more to come.
NRW Football: Is it still possible for players to sign up and participate?
Travis Brody: Yes. They can sign up directly at www.growthofagame.com/product/cologne-skills-camp/. Player registration is 99€ per person and coaches are 39€
NRW Football: What has to change in the German football in order to improve the sport?
Travis Brody: Further public awareness for American football will encourage more good people to get involved with the sport. We need to motivate good athletes, coaches, and administrators to help build the sport, and we will do so by sharing American football with the greater community whenever possible.
NRW Football: What happens after the camp? What do you plan for the future?
Travis Brody: We’ll be back in NRW again in 2019, but we’ll also have additional camps in Brussels, Utrecht, Arnhem, and Munich this year. These are all accessible for players and coaches in NRW. Our goal is to make American football more accessible to players in every country in Europe. If you’re interested in getting involved with our mission of developing the sport, please visit us at www.growthofagame.com. Thank you to NRW Football for all the great work they’re doing and for the opportunity.