Frequently asked questions.
DO i need to understand american football or have previous experience to join lafa?
Absolutely not! Our entire mission is bring the game individuals and meet them where they are at in their understanding and athletic development. We treat every athlete as a unique customer and structure our curriculum to develop our youth effectively and efficiently! We are very approachable and welcoming too!
Is LAFA a club / team?
No, LAFA is not a club or a team. We are training organisation only, providing team-agnostic instruction of the core skills and competencies necessary to play American Football. We believe this provides an benefit to our customers as we will be solely focussed on developing the individual’s skills only. There are plenty of club and team options available across London and broader UK for young people to train as a teammate and we would be more than happy to help youth find the right set up for them. Here at LAFA, we want to make you the best you can be as an individual player so you can go and be the best teammate possible in your regular season!
IS Lafa associated with a club / team?
No. As many of us coach and play at a variety of teams and in different formats, we are not aligned to a single club or team. We are more than open to collaborating with local clubs, teams and organisations but we will never be aligned to a single programme. We are here to serve the INDIVIDUAL and do what is right for their development only.
IS LAFA like NFL Academy or BRISTOL SGS?
No. We are not affiliated with any school and are not in the business of running a college-age team and programme. If a London school is interested in establishing an American Football programme similar to NFL Academy or Bristol SGS, we would be happy to engage in those discussions - please email coachcarp@londonafa.com. What we really hope to achieve is to provide a development pathway for young athletes in London to institutions like NFL Academy, Bristols SGS, other top BUCS American Football Programmes as well as international opportunties (US, Canada HS & College). We are also open to coming into local schools and helping them teach the game to students, staff, etc.
IS LAFA A CHARITY? OR CIC?
No. LAFA is a for-profit organisation. We thought long and hard on our options and because we want to deliver the highest-quality training, we have to be fully committed to the delivery of our services and this requires paying coaches highly-qualified individuals in this field to share their knowledge in a professional settings.
What equipment do I need for LAFA training?
We do not wear American Football helmets, pads, etc. in our training. We know how to develop skills and abilities without that equipment, making it safer and more accessible for all! That said, everyone must have the following:
Mouthguard (aka a gumshield!)
Appropriate athletic footwear for pitch/indoor setting - booking dependent
We also recommend:
A skull-cap as worn in Rugby for additional head-protection
American football gloves can be helpful in aiding catching
If you need to purchase of this, please visit:
(Online & Physical shop in Addiscombe) Comet Sports
are classes mixed-gender?
Yes, although we will run girls-only sessions if there is sufficient demand!