A look at the Arlanda Jets football program

BY KIM GOSS, MS In the United States, football is football – but in other parts of the world, football is soccer and what we play is called American football. But American football is not a sport played exclusively in the United States, and interestingly enough, one of those other countries that have embraced our national pastime is Sweden. The roots of American football in Sweden can be traced to young foreign exchange students from Sweden who had been in the United States in the late ’70s. They had little knowledge of the rules, and they used hockey gear for protection – just a bunch of young kids wanting to have fun.

As American professional football became increasingly popular worldwide, more and more young Swedish kids started getting together with their friends and playing the game.

Sweden doesn’t have organized school sports, but rather club sports. These clubs offer activities for all ages and at all times of the day, so sports often become a family affair, with parents and their children playing at the same time on separate courts and fields. Most kids play just one sport, but play it year-round. By 1982 the sport of American football had become so popular in Sweden that the first JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012 professional,” says Andersson. “He is good at many things, but we brought him here because he is a true coach – he teaches values and reminds us what is important in football.”

The Jets have their own practice field and a weightroom, about 220 square yards under bleachers the club built. The weightroom includes five platforms, four being complete stations with approximately 330 pounds of weights for each station. They also have dumbbells, various machines, and an area for plyometrics and agility work. They use the BFS Readiness program for the younger players. “The biggest challenge is getting them to understand how to work correctly,” says Kennedy. “They want to see how much they can lift before they know how.” After the Readiness program, the players progress to the Coaches Billy Kennedy and Thomas Andersson BFS program.

“The biggest Getting on the advantage of the BFS program is the helps to coach and promote the sport Fast Track with the Arlanda teaching progression,” says Kennedy. in Sweden. “First we brought players to Jets “It is a program that gives athletes the help coach and play – great guys right The Arlanda Jets are located in chance to develop from the learning out of college who stayed for the suman area of Stockholm called Märsta. mer, when we play. We still bring play- phases of lifting to the advanced. It The population of Märsta is about starts with the Readiness program in ers, but about 10 years ago we learned 30,000, compared to the 1 million learning how to lift correctly.

If you about Bill “BD” Kennedy, a football living in Stockholm, and 9 million in have developed the correct technique, coach who had moved to Sweden with all of Sweden – in terms of geography, then you have a much lower risk of his wife. We recruited him, and he has Sweden is about the size of California. injury as you get stronger.” As for The Jets’ A-team plays in the high- been great for the club. He has been what he considers the best lifts for an important part of our continuous est division, which they call the “Super football, Kennedy responds, “I am a growth and improvement.” Series,”

but the crowds number in the big believer in the squat and power In addition to recruiting Kennedy, hundreds, not thousands. As such it’s clean, which lay down a great foundathe Arlanda Jets also were able to bring a true amateur sport, with the playtion for a player.”Another aspect of in coach Rik Parker, who is now the ers simply coming to play. Money is the BFS program Kennedy likes is its head coach for the A-team and assists a bit tight as a result, so all the players built-in opportunity to break records. Kennedy with the younger players.

must pay a membership fee and buy “The emphasis on record keeping and “Rik is an old-school guy and really their own helmet and shoulder pads American football club was formed that year. This was followed by the establishment of the Swedish American Football Federation in 1984, and in 1985 the first national championships was held. To keep the games competitive, the sport is arranged in higher and lower divisions, so a player can move from weaker to stronger divisions based upon the player’s performance. One Swedish football team that came to our attention recently, the Arlanda Jets, started with an “A-team”

(age 20 and up) in 1989, and since then the Jets have grown to include more and more junior and youth teams. American football in Sweden includes teams in all age groups, as follows: U11, U13, U15, U17, U19 and A-team. They also started a team for women, and they have cheerleaders. The game is played using NCAA rules, and they even use yards instead of meters.

– no hockey gear allowed. The playing season is May to September, but the Swedish schedule is quite different from the US, as there are no games played during July and often there are two- tothree-week breaks between games. “In our constant striving to improve we always have brought Americans to develop our game,” says Arlanda Jets coach Thomas Andersson, who was a foreign exchange student in Michigan in the early ’80s and today breaking personal records is a great way to keep athletes motivated.”

Kennedy says that with the combination of great facilities, a dedicated coaching staff, a sound workout system and players who are willing to work hard, the Arlanda Jets are producing some very talented, strong and fast players, many of whom are being selected for national teams. Although American football will probably never overtake the popularity of hockey in Sweden, the sport is growing in popularity thanks to the efforts of dedicated coaches and numerous volunteers. And what is especially refreshing is that the athletes involved are not doing it for public recognition or financial incentives but for the love of the game.

For these reasons, BFS is proud to be a part of the success of the Arlanda Jets.

Sweden doesn’t have organized school sports, but rather club sports. The Arlanda Jets were formed in 1989.

The Arlanda Jets have adopted the BFS program, focusing on breaking personal records every workout.

ING ND HAMSTR A E T U L G L U RF G THE POWE DEVELOPER IS THE BY ISOLATIN GLUTE HAM E H T , S E L C MUS Great for beginners: Knee pad ensures perfect form Rotating thigh pads reduce friction on upper thighs DEDICATED TO HELPING ATHLETES SUCCEED SINCE 1976

From BFS Magazine — January/February 2012. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).