CHILDREN will get the chance to take part in American Football following forthcoming training programme for teachers.

Flintshire will be gripped by American Football fever on Thursday and Friday as 40 sports coaches and primary school teachers attend the NFL flag football training course in order to be able to deliver the sport in schools and community sessions.

The course, being held at Deeside and Holywell leisure centres, is delivered by NFL UK and will support schools to deliver fun flag football sessions in curriculum and extracurricular sessions as well as enabling Sports Development Coaches with Aura Leisure and Libraries to be able to deliver on their community programmes.

There will be a flag football festival held at Deeside leisure centre in the summer term to celebrate the work of all involved in this project.

Will Broster, sports development officer, said ‘’Flag football is a great sport to teach fundamentals of movement and team work as well as developing children’s physical, social, mental and emotional wellbeing. "The sport will be a great engagement tool for boys and girls to participate in sport and contribute towards them becoming hooked on sport for life’’

A spokesman for Aura Leisure and Libraries said: "The NFL Flag programme is active nationally across the UK and Ireland with the support of our Presenting Sponsor Subway.

"We are supporting schools to bring the NFL Flag programme to their school via our teacher training programme. NFL Flag is a five v five non-contact version of American football.

"The aim is to help develop the character of the children by focusing on the NFL core values of Respect, Integrity, Resilience, and Responsibility, improve their nutritional knowledge, the importance of getting active as well as helping them learn how to play NFL Flag.

"Each 12-week programme ends with a regional tournament involving all participating schools at a local venue."