Aztecs Annual Combine

Posted in: Bristol Aztecs    By Jan 21, 2010 - 3:15:33 PM

          Aztecs Annual Combine

The Bristol Aztecs 8^th  Annual Combine will take place on   Saturday 23^rd January  at Filton WISE in  Bristol.   The Aztecs pioneered the NFL style tryouts in the  UK, and have been rewarded with steady sustainable progress year on year.

The Combine has been a valuable tool for the organisation in the last eight years, not only in that it sets the benchmarks for each individual player from where they must build, but also in terms of assessing potential recruits for both the youth and adult teams. A direct correlation can be drawn between the introduction and development of the combine workouts and the improved performance of the team year on year.

The day is split into three phases, the first being registration along with an introduction to the team and staff, the second is the NFL style combine testing (bench, 40 yard dash, broad jump etc), and a third phase which involves an assessment of football skills and ability to follow instructions and run drills, as well as some basic positional fundamentals.

Head Coach Mark Hopkins    is a strong advocate of testing both measurables as well as testing football potential, by running basic drills in order to assess both existing players, youth and university graduates, and total rookies. “We have been managing recruitment and assessment in this way for seven years now, and it is a vital part of what we do, and how we monitor the ongoing development of the team."

Several successful products of Bristol American football who have been developed in part through the combine process are Kehinde Saro who played 3 years of Arena football in the  USA, Dave Egbosimba who has been playing at  Simon  Fraser  University  in BC  Canada, and Chris Hunt currently playing Division 2 NCAA football at Millikin IL USA.

The Combine has been growing year on year with a modest 45 in 2004, that has been bettered each year, with average attendances now well in excess of 100 athletes.  Defensive co-ordinator Chris Powles has been delighted with the success of the combine in the past, and its results: “We’ve seen a clear improvement in many players year on year and have measured that improvement. It’s no surprise that those putting in the effort away from the field, which is reflected in testing results, are also those making an impact on the field”.

The club has also re-launched their website, with a fresh new look to coincide with the combine. Club President Paul Dangerfield commented: “We’ve always looked to update the website every few years, and we’ve taken an opportunity now to add twitter updates, and vimeo video links to the website”. To enjoy the new website, please visit www.Aztecs.co.uk.

Despite the popularity of the combine, the door to the Aztecs is open as ever, and anyone interested in attending the combine, helping out in the back room, coaching, or sponsoring the Aztecs, should email the club at  bristolaztecs@hotmail.com .

                                                                                                

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