AFBÖ, American football winning among the peaks of the Austrian Alps

On a Saturday afternoon in October, the NV Arena in Sankt Pölten, capital of the state of Lower Austria, is packed to capacity, at least 6500 spectators. All of them were there to support the “Team Austria”, the Austrian American Football National Team playing for the European Championship title against Finland. At the final whistle and with a peremptory 28-0 victory over the Finns, the red and white became European Champions for the first time. It is not an unexpected result because it is the result of two silver medals in the 2014 and 2018 editions. Work, planning, the commitment of AFBÖ (American Football Bund Österreich), the winning ingredients of this national team born among the peaks of the Austrian Alps and capable of overturning initial scepticism to the tune of results.

A growing movement

It is certainly not easy, in a country where sporting disciplines are more tied to the geography and traditions of the territory, to find the right space for a sport like American Football, but instead AFBÖ, in its history of more than 40 years, has been able with patience and hard work to build a movement that over time has achieved brilliant results, both at the level of the major national team and at the youth level. The first team, between this year and next, is preparing to defend the continental title won in Sankt Pölten, while the Austrian youth national team will take part in the U20 World Championships in Edmonton, Canada, next June, and arrives there as the reigning European Champion as well as undefeated at European level since 2011. These are results that reward the Federation's sports project and contribute to the growth of the entire movement also at the level of individual clubs.

People and the right mindset always make a difference

Team spirit and strong cohesion among the players are the characteristics of this national team. Everyone participates enthusiastically in the rallies where the team and not the individual is the focus of attention. No one wants to show off, rather they work hard and struggle to contribute to the result of the entire collective. A sport where physical contact is 'important', but where rules and respect for the opponent are fundamental. Another decisive aspect is to instil the athletes with the right winning mentality. Max Sommer, coach of the Austrian National American Football Team since November 2019, has been a master in this. Since his arrival, he has been able, game after game, to build a team where veterans and young talents have been able to find a perfect harmony that, combined with the desire to do something historic for their country, has allowed them to reach the highest step in Europe. It is no coincidence that since Sommer has been at his helm, the national team has always won.

The secret? Being heroes on and off the field for yourself and your teammates

The achievements of the AFBÖ and its national teams come from a love of the sport you play, from playing for the team and for the teammate at your side. Commitment and sacrifice for a common goal. The Macron Hero on the jerseys of the Red and White National Teams expresses and exalts these values because a hero is a selfless leader, both on and off the pitch. A hero sees the team as a whole, not the individual and never puts himself first, and on that Saturday in October on the grass of the stadium in Sankt Pölten a united team wrote the history of American football among the peaks of the Austrian Alps. #Become your own hero