American Football Worldwide (AFW) offers high school seniors a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent the USA in an international football game while exploring Europe. This elite experience blends athletic competition, cultural immersion, and personal growth—welcoming both student-athletes and their families. From registration and eligibility to equipment, travel, and fundraising, here’s everything you need to know to be part of this unforgettable journey.
If you are a high school senior, you are eligible for this international game and tour. Current seniors can attend and treat this game like a post-high school season ‘all-star’ game. We have traveled with juniors, but you should seek approval from your high school coach so that your senior-year eligibility will not be affected. Rules vary from state to state, which, as a junior, is your governing body.
To qualify for this trip, a student-athlete must meet this selection criteria. You must:
Please see the updated tour inclusions, which are often updated. All of your necessary expenses are covered from when you board the AFW group flight (or meet us in Europe) until you return home, except for a handful of “your choice” meals when out touring. All other meals are included. Drinks are provided at breakfast. (Drinks besides water are not included at dinner.)
All team ground transportation, accommodations and admission to sites on scheduled tours are included. The tour provides bi-lingual speaking tour guides. Student-athletes will receive practice, game and travel apparel. However, you must supply the complex equipment (helmet, shoulder pads and leg pads) often made available through your high school.
Finally, you will need ‘spending money’ for souvenirs, snacks, drinks at dinner and some tips (customary to tip tour guide and motor coach driver).
Please see the current pricing information available under the Tour Overview and Traveler Information forms. The final price will vary depending on whether you use all cash/checks or electronic debit/credit to pay for a portion of your tour. In addition, there is varying pricing between the full package/flight included tour or if you will be flying with a parent and/or other family members and meeting us in Europe.
Yes, we encourage parents, grandparents and siblings to join us in visiting this historically fascinating, beautiful part of the world. After an exceptional and phenomenal week of touring, family members will witness their relative play in a very rare and special game representing the USA against another country’s national team.
Typically, there is slightly higher pricing for family members due to additional touring and access to our full-time tour guides, who serve as traveling concierges during practice times.
In addition, the athletes save on some student pricing discounts we receive for touring, etc.
Take the time to kindly and properly ask those who love and appreciate you for their support. There are various appeals you can make and fundraising ideas you can implement:
Due to the likelihood we will not be able to get together as a team to practice before departure, we have daily practices scheduled while we are in Europe. As a part of USA-AFW ELITE, we take skilled and 'football-intelligent' players who can learn and adapt fast. We have been highly impressed with how fast the players pick up our system in previous years.
We expect to install enough schemes and conflicts based on our personnel so that we will give our international opponents problems. Specifically, we expect to play straightforward, hard-nosed American football for our contest. Value the ball on offense and take it away on defense - and we will be fine.
In addition, in the weeks preceding the contest, we expect you will take pride in keeping yourself in or training to get in the proper physical condition to play American football. The offensive and defensive playbook will be distributed electronically a week to ten days before departure.
It will be your responsibility to secure ‘hard gear’. As has been the case with our past travelers, hopefully your high school football coach will agree to let you use your equipment from this season one more time next April. Get this clarified as soon as you can and before your coach sends the gear away after the season for reconditioning.
It is very unlikely that we will be able to provide to you any of the hard gear necessary to play contact football. Beyond the hard gear, we will be providing practice shorts and a practice jersey.
Our coordinators will put together fundamentally solid offensive, defensive and special teams schemes. Of course, the quarterbacks and other skill players we recruit for this trip may impact our strategies. We plan to highlight your skills - value the football – and let your techniques, passion for the game and pride in American football help us earn a hard-fought, 'road' victory.
This is something you will have to look into and resolve. You may have to decide which activity or experience you value more. Hopefully, your spring coaches will support your participation in this unique athletic/educational opportunity and then welcome you back.
Please see this year's tour description. Generally, we fly out late on a Saturday afternoon arriving in Europe early on Sunday morning. After gathering our luggage we usually head out to immediately tour and enjoy our time in Europe. After a challenging first day, our first night of sleep will be incredible. The following day staff and players are typically up early for morning practice as we install our base schemes on offense and defense. Parents and family members can sleep in a little or enjoy a stroll in the local area. The remainder of the day we spend as much time as possible touring and immersing ourselves in the local culture. We usually go into the evening then enjoy a late dinner and share stories into the night.
Each day following is much the same - football will take up a couple hours for the boys but the rest of the day is about learning of, living in and enjoying the country we are visiting.
At the end of the week Saturday, is International Game Day where we demonstrate how the great game of American football should be and is played by US players!
After the game we look to have time to socialize with our opponents from the opposing national team - which is definitely a festive tour highlight - before heading out for a final celebration. On Sunday morning we return home to the USA loaded with tremendous stories to share with other loved ones and friends at home!
First, if you are not competing at the collegiate level this is an incredible game in which to conclude your football playing career. You do not have future eligibility concerns.
If you are considering continuing your football playing career at the collegiate level this tour and game can be a great experience and aid in your preparation and development for the college level.
Overall, we believe this experience would make you more attractive to college coaches. There are no limitations on you in taking this trip and playing – you can go, period.
In addition, you can fund raise to help defray the direct tour costs as long as you do not accept donations from college boosters.
You can do that as long as it is not raised through the AFWEF which cannot give back to you funds raised above the direct tour costs for spending money or any other reason. You will have to bring your own 'spending money'. At the same time, relatives can ‘gift’ to you any amount they choose.
“American football” is how our game is known around the world to distinguish it from their football – what we know as soccer. There are now 60+ countries in the world with Federations for American Football. The game has had its longest and steadiest presence in Europe for many decades now with as many as 900+ club teams playing American football.
Some in the world, and many in Europe are quite fascinated with, and even fanatical about, American football. In the last 10 years there has been a very steady upward trend to the quality of play in American football internationally. This includes players who grew up outside the US both being offered Division I scholarships and some now gaining access to the NFL.
With its strong ties to the USA and many great football players and coaches of Italian descent, Italy has had a long fascination and appreciation for American football. Ireland has a very athletic mentality and with more physical sports such as rugby, Gaelic football and hurling a part of their sport culture they are well-suited for American football.
Our opponents have a solid team as this is the best their country has to offer. They will be some rugged and skilled players. There is no doubt that over the years we are seeing the European's improve. Like our USA-AFW ELITE team a test will be to see which team comes together faster in practices and ultimately who plays lower and longer. Let's prepare to bring bring our US 'A' Game.
Generally, visit your local post office to secure the necessary form. You will also need a government issued photo ID (such as a driver’s license), your birth certificate, two current pictures of yourself (can be secured at Walgreens, etc.; should be 2x2 with a white background) and the required fee.
Meet the eligibility criteria, follow-up on its requirements, download a registration form ITALY '20 Tour Athlete Registration Form or IRELAND '18 Tour Athlete Registration Form send it in with the requisite deposit asap. If someone meets the selection criteria, the roster will be filled on a first to register-and deposit basis.
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