Big, small, explosive, or more enduring players, at Kristianstad Predators, there is a place for all characteristics. - Our philosophy is that everyone should be able to train with us, says Tyson Guillen, founder and coach.
The center snaps the ball and passes it to the quarterback. The quarterback hands off the ball to a running back who takes off at a furious speed towards the goal line but gets tackled by the opponent and loses the ball. It's a fumble, and now the home team must try to recover the ball before the opposing team does.
There are many new words and positions to learn for someone unfamiliar with American football.
- The game is a bit like chess, with different techniques and tactics to learn. And it also involves endurance and strength, says Karin Blomdahl, club chairman for the past four years. By her side is Tyson, the coach for Kristianstad Predators.
Aiming for the Super Series
The club has 194 members and youth activities starting from nine years old up to the senior level. The team has played in the Super Series, the highest league in Sweden, but is currently playing in Division 1 due to financial reasons.
- Our philosophy is to develop our own players to play at the highest level because we want to be able to build our players from scratch. We are now working on improving the conditions for our players structurally, and the goal is to play in the Super Series again in 2025, says Tyson.
"Safe Walks are a great bonus"
One of the paths to the Super Series is through sponsorship agreements. Länsförsäkringar Göinge-Kristianstad sponsors Kristianstad Predators, including evening and nighttime safe walks in Kristianstad where the association receives a contribution for each walk they participate in.
- We are actively working to recruit more players and create a larger and more attractive network so that our collaborative partners can benefit greatly from working with Kristianstad Predators. We don't just want to receive sponsorship, but also provide added value to our sponsors in the same way Länsförsäkringar Göinge-Kristianstad gets from the safe walks. And the walks provide a great extra bonus for the various teams in the club, says Tyson, and Karin agrees:
- We are extremely grateful for the sponsorship. We have been very active with the safe walks; it's good that we are visible in town and that we can contribute to safety in our local area. Additionally, our players can have a little sports talk with the people we meet in town, which is also great.
