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American Footballers Strike Right Balance as they Swap Tackles for Tutus!
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On Wednesday 16th July London’s premiere American Football Team are gearing up to take on the rest of the league with a secret tactic up their jerseys.
Inspired by ‘The Rock’s’ exploits in Walt Disney’s box office hit, The Game Plan, the London Olympians are swapping tackles for tutus in preparation for next season.
Having decided to take a year out from the British American Football League to rebuild a new squad the Crystal Palace high flyers have recruited ballet instructor Rebecca Leonard to help them pirouette their way to glory on the pitch.
After watching Joe Kingman’s transition from tough talking quarterback to light footed cavalier in The Game Plan, which is released on DVD this week, the team have taken a somewhat alternative approach to their training sessions.
Head coach Stephen Marcus, known off the field for his acting career for roles such as ‘Nick the Greek’ in Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, is encouraging his star forwards to replace their usual hard hitting training methods for a more unorthodox approach to help their footwork, balance and agility.
“When I first heard of this idea I thought it was a joke but having done some research of my own it makes perfect sense” says Stephen.
“It works for The Rock’s character in the film and in real life several players, like 80s superstar Herschel Walker, have been known to dabble with dance, but I think we’re the first team in the UK to take ballet lessons onto the pitch!”
The benefits of ballet have long been recognised by various sports disciplines such as gymnastics, martial arts and athletics but few American football teams have dared venture into the world of tutus, plimsolls and leotards.
Rebecca Leonard, ballet instructor and BBC Strictly Dance Fever finalist, says “I have been coaching ballet for some years and often help sports individuals hone their balance and agility with ballet techniques. However this is the first time I have been asked to work with an American football team!”
According to leading sports psychologists, American football is a sport hardly known for its grace and poise, but some US players have swapped their pads for points, to do ballet.
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Ballet dancers are renowned for their agility; they are able to leap, land and turn with, well… with balletic grace. This has led researchers and sports team players and coaches to experiment with ballet and other dance forms as a conditioning method.
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Superbowl winner and former top high-hurdler Willie Gault was one such player who believed his on-field performance and resistance to injury was enhanced by ballet, and more publicly 80s star Herschel Walker even appeared on stage with the Fort Worth Ballet in 1988.
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THE GAME PLAN TOUCHES DOWN ON DISNEY DVD AND BLU- RAY DISC ON 14TH JULY 2008.
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