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SPORTS Monday 15 July 2019

NFL opens football

academy in London

Continued from Page 18 setup in Europe differs sig-
nificantly. It’s far more com-
His only disadvantage? He mon for prospects to join a
lives in East London, where sports club’s academy at
opportunities to play the a young age and receive
American game are diffi- coaching in a structured
cult to find. environment all the way
That’s why Starodoubtsev through to a senior-team
was at soccer power Tot- debut.
tenham Hotspur’s new Kirkwood wants to follow
stadium earlier this month, that model — with a twist.
one of 150 hopefuls trying By partnering with Barnet &
to land one of 80 spots in Southgate College in north
the inaugural class of the London, those who have
NFL Academy this fall. The been selected to enroll in
league, which has been the NFL Academy will be-
playing regular-season gin classes in September
games in London since with up to 12 hours of foot-
2007, wants to maintain a ball practice added on
more lasting presence in each week.
the city beyond those few “I’d be taking over the
weekends a year. It be- world by now if I had this
lieves it can do that — and opportunity,” said Carolina NFL player Samson Ebukam of the Los Angeles Rams coaches a young team during the final
grow the sport — by identi- Panthers defensive end Efe tournament for the UK’s NFL Flag Championship, featuring qualifying teams from around the
fying and cultivating young Obada, who was raised in country, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Wednesday, July 3, 2019.
British talent. London, played in several Associated Press
“In the last two or three local leagues and made his workouts, including the 40- from Manchester who is al- “I don’t know where we’ll
years, this has been about, NFL debut last season. “For yard dash, the broad jump, ready 6-foot-2, has a bas- start from. It could be, ‘This
whilst being quintessen- it to now be real, and to be the vertical leap and the ketball background. Some is a center and this is a
tially American, could we getting kids who are 15, 16, 20-yard shuttle run. said they are sprinters, a guard,’ in all honesty, but
be more British (and) lo- introduced to the sport and Nearly half the participants few play handball and one we’ll give them bespoke
cally relevant?” said NFL UK having them surrounded were from London, the rest even said he plays water training, in class, film anal-
managing director Alistair by some major role models from other parts of Britain polo. ysis, kind of fast-tracking
Kirkwood. “(Can we) have and real NFL players ... it’s — a few traveled from else- “I just don’t think it’s fair them so that when they
grassroots and a commit- crazy. It’s amazing.” where in Europe, including to bring in a kid with a get on the field, they know
ment to having British play- More than 1,500 prospects Poland’s Kacper Jaszewski, rugby, soccer or cricket what drills to do.”
ers who look like you and applied for a spot in the who completed the fastest background and run them The finalists will be put
talk like you, and then at the academy, with 150 finalists shuttle run in 4.3 seconds. through positional drills through another round of
same time have younger drawn from that pool af- Tony Allen, who will serve because they’re going character assessments be-
kids playing the game right ter two months of workouts as the academy’s head to look like Bambi the first fore the initial class is de-
down to flag football?” and interviews. Those final- coach, believes appli- time around and be falling cided in late July. Although
Players in the United States ists, invited to join Obada, cants’ backgrounds aren’t over the bags,” said Allen, Kirkwood and Allen both
have a well-developed Smith-Schuster and other important as long as they who was formerly the NFL’s said they’d be pleased for
path to playing profes- program ambassadors at show some degree of ath- director of international the program’s graduates to
sional sports, progressing Tottenham Hotspur Stadi- letic ability. Starodoubtsev, player development and obtain Division I scholarship
from youth leagues to high um, were put through a fi- for example, plays rugby. a coach with the London offers, the goal, for now, is
school and college. The nal round of combine-style David Ani, a 16-year-old Monarchs of NFL Europe. personal development. q

Howard plays amid abuse allegation, Storm beat Liberty

SEATTLE (AP) — Natasha Howard was not made loud round of applause as Game for the first time in career-high four 3-point-
Howard scored 14 points a available to the media be- the other four starters. She her career, being voted as ers. Sami Whitcomb added
day after abuse allegations fore or after the game, and scored 10 of her points dur- a starter for the July 27 con- 11 points. The Storm, win-
were raised against her to the team said she won’t ing the first 6 1/2 minutes, test in Las Vegas. ning their second straight,
help the Seattle Storm beat comment on the allega- and was cheered on all four This is the second domes- scored the first six points
the New York Liberty 78-69 tions. When asked about baskets. On Saturday, How- tic incident in the WNBA and never trailed. They
on Sunday. The team says Howard’s performance ard’s wife posted a minute- this season. Los Angeles had 14 straight points in the
it is looking into allegations amid the allegations, Se- long, expletive-filled video Sparks guard Riquna Wil- second quarter to expand
on social media that How- attle coach Dan Hughes on Twitter from March in liams was arrested in April a 27-21 lead to 41-21. New
ard physically threatened said: “She’s an All-Star. I which she yelled at Howard after authorities say she at- York (7-10) cut it to 43-30 by
and abused her wife. No think that’s what that (per- about being threatened by tacked her former girlfriend halftime, closing the half
charges have been filed. formance) says.” the Storm forward. She also at a Florida home. Williams with a 9-2 scoring surge.
“We are in continued com- Howard was in her regular posted screen shots of con- had her court hearing Seattle put 16 straight
munication with the league starting forward position, versations with Howard’s postponed last month and points on the board during
and their investigation is and there was no notice- agent and the team’s gen- has been playing for the the third quarter to take a
now in progress,” the team able backlash from the eral manager. Sparks all season. Crystal 27-point lead at 64-37.
said before the game in a 6,733 fans. She was the Howard, the 27-year-old Langhorne came off the Kia Nurse had 19 points to
statement confirming How- first of the five starters intro- former Florida State player, bench to lead Seattle (10- lead the Liberty. The have
ard would play. duced, receiving the same was selected to the All-Star 8) with 19 points, hitting a lost three in a row.q