After several weeks of intense discussion and planning with Gravesend Dynamite, BAFA’s Manager for Schools, Rob Rooksby, ran the first of several planned developmental sessions at the club’s training venue in Northfleet, Kent. Rooksby said ‘It is important to develop the sport for the School Games in its most inclusive forms. The concept of wheelchair football has been a challenge but working with the Trust and with Dynamite has allowed us to develop a new and exciting version of the sport that maintains the values and ethos of the Youth Sport Trust whilst preserving, we believe, the spirit and practice of American Football.’ Whilst certainly not a complete format at the moment, significant steps forward were taken at the session with the help and input of the players themselves. ‘Like all ‘first sessions’, Rooksby says, ‘play was ‘ragged and messy’ to start with but by the end, everyone could see how the new format worked, and it began to look ‘clean and effective’. Fantastic effort and input from a group of awesome players!’. With Dynamite founder, Jason Owen having recently joined the Touchdown Team and once the format has been finalised, it will be developed throughout the south east initially and then nationally as the official schools’ format. It is likely that wheelchair sports clubs may add this to their repertoire of wheelchair sports given its unique and very different nature and there is no reason a new BAFA wheelchair flag football league could not be created. Jason said of the session, ‘Anyone can play Wheelchair American Football - it keeps the excitement of American football true and is totally inclusive - males, females, disabled and able bodied all participating together. We’re very proud to be working with BAFA and the YST in formulating this official version of the game – a game which is truly inclusive and exciting’. For more information go to bafaschools.org or contact Rob Rooksby schools@britishamericanfootball.org