Yahoo News The trailblazing American Football star who is bringing the sport to girls in Manchester
When Phoebe Schecter signed up for the flag football club in Manchester, she did it because she was homesick. Little did she know that a search for some home comfort would lead her to making history as Britain’s first female NFL Coach.
“I moved here to work with horses in the Cheshire area," said the 34-year-old, originally from Connecticut.
“I was missing home, it was December in sunny Manchester and once I saw the ad for the league in Manchester, it just felt like a sign.
“That mixture of homesickness, wanting to make friends, being 22 and living in a foreign country could be isolating at the same time. That day really changed my life because that one decision of going to the trials in Manchester has led me to where I am now.”
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Phoebe impressed at the Manchester trials and before long she was a stalwart in the GB Women’s American Football team where she eventually became captain, leading them to the final of the 2015 European Championships. In 2018 she etched her name in the history books when she landed her first coaching position at the highest level of American Football for the NFL’s Buffallo Bills.
Speaking about her time at the Bills in a male dominated high stakes environment, she said. “It’s almost indescribable in a lot of ways. Until you’ve lived it and been in it, I don’t think anyone would understand what it means and feels like.
“You’re there from 5:30am until 11pm, everyday is like that for six months straight. But when you’re going through an organisation and everyone is so motivated you want to be better just not for yourself but for other people.
“I remember when I came back from Bufallo and I felt like my brain was going a million miles an hour. It was just the standard.”
Phoebe has settled down in Holmes Chapel and as well as her gig at Sky Sports as an NFL analyst, she is one of the leads behind a inception of the first ever girls only flag football league in Manchester.
Following the success of the girl’s league in London, launched by New York Giants and Chicago Bears, Phoebe is working closely with the Bears to empower girls aged 12-14 to engage with sport.
“Ultimately flag football has fewer barriers for participation,” she said. “It’s five-a-side, you only flag belts and a football, so you’re already reducing costs. There are fewer rules than 11-a-side and it’s really fast pace which makes it exciting.
“Having it in Manchester makes it feel so full circle for me. I first started to play American Football in Manchester and I get to bring it to young girls.
“I wish I had it at their age, I started at 22, I think it’s incredible that they’ve got the opportunity and the support is incredible. I know for myself, my confidence and the way the sport empowered me, I want to give that to the girls.”
The all girls flag football league was launched on Wednesday (April 24). The inaugural league will see 100 girls aged 12-14 from across the region compete in two conferences of five teams each (ten teams total) across five weeks with the winners going head-to-head in a Championship Event on May 22nd.
The league was launched with an immersive Flag Football session at Bolton School where the girls received their official team kit from Nike who are a partner of the Flag Football League and took part in an NFL Flag taster session led by Phoebe Schecter and NFL Flag coaches as well as a host of other fun skill-based activities.
