Bitten but bouncing back!

What a busy month it has been! Exams, last minute league preparation, and training, but now Football season is finally well and truly upon us. Unfortunately we opened that season with a distinctly rusty performance, bitten by a Vipers team on their third game and hitting their stride. In spite of the result, there were positives aspects to the game, and most importantly there were lessons to be learned. Whether rookies stepping on to the American Football field for the first time, or experienced veterans with years under their belts, every one of us took something from that game which we will use to grow as a player, as a team mate and as a person. How we bounce back will define the rest of our season and will reflect our character as an organisation. We are Warriors. We will fight to the last man. We will support and challenge each other to be better individuals and a better team. We will march to war, and we will conquer.
This Sunday May 15th, we travel East to face the North Dublin Pirates at 2pm at Malahide rugby club to get our season back on track. The support we get from our fantastic sponsors, Garvey's Inn, Apache Galway and Topaz Newcastle road has been invaluable in allowing us to successfully stage home games and travel for away games but we have to give special mention to our individual donors for supporting our 2016 campaign (https://chuffed.org/organisations/galway-warriors) Your support as fans means so much to us and is a driving force behind our desire to improve, so a huge thank you to Simon Lynskey, Siobhán Barrett, Maggie Whitworth and Jim Neary, your support is greatly appreciated.
Gaillimh Abú

An army Marches on it's stomach: Warriors secure vital support

We are delighted to announce our new partnership with Apache Pizza Galway who will join Garvey's Inn, Eyre Square as our Sponsors for the 2016 season. This partnership means that we will have FREE, yes FREE PIZZA at all of our games! But that's not all, as every donation over €10 to our Fundraising Campaign will receive a €10 voucher for Apache Galway! Check out our other great perks too, including exclusive Warriors merchandise! Sure how can you say no! The support means the world to us as it helps to cover our season costs and start thinking about growing for the future of the club and implementing better training structures. As our season opener against the Vipers on May 1st quickly approaches, we are making great strides in training, but we still welcome any and all newcomers to the game, any shape, any size any athletic ability. Check out our facebook page for more info and to stay up to date. Gaillimh Abú!

Motivation and why we do what we do.

Last night we held a small team meeting to welcome a new player-coach to the club and get ourselves on the same page with regards our ambitions and where we stand as an organisation. Darragh has a wealth of experience having played in the US and UK as well as here in Ireland,  and will be a massive asset to us on and off the field this season, but what stood out the most was his attitude, and it really got me thinking about what makes the sport so special. From the outside it can look like American Football is a game of individual stars changing games, but in reality it is trust and confidence in teammates that allows individuals to excel. Offensive line protects the quarterback to give him time to make big plays and opens the gaps for the running backs to rip down field. The receiver getting the touchdown might get the glory but his partner on the far side drawing double coverage gave him the space to score. Substitutions mean the right players have to get the right match ups. It's this variety and synergy that has gotten us all addicted to this game but just taking part is not enough. As Warriors we have a responsibility to live up to our name and fight to win, no quarter given. If you want to challenge yourself in an amazing, rewarding sport, come meet us, every Sunday at noon, bring boots and comfy clothes if you want to join in or just have a look. We hope to see you soon. Gaillimh Abú

Superbowl 50 preview (and dodgy prediction!)

Sunday's match up between The Carolina Panthers and The Denver Broncos is going to, for better or worse, answer some career defining questions for two NFL quarterbacks. One revered as QB royalty in his 18th season, the other seen as a petulant upstart, in spite of five consistent years and and this season coming tantalisingly close to regular season perfection. For the Carolina Panthers, their years of intelligent team building have paid dividend as the pieces finally look to be falling into place, those pieces being a mature, and magnificently mercurial Cam Newton and the simply outstanding Luke Keuchly. Meanwhile in Denver, a predatory pass rush combined with a quarterback whose acquisition was seen as a risky last roll of the dice in a waning career following neck surgery three years ago has yielded a second Superbowl appearance in three years.
      For Peyton Manning, this result of this game will define his legacy. Already seen by many as the greatest regular season QB of all time, a win on Sunday would dispel the murmered doubts over his patchy playoff record and singular Lombardi win (it surely must grate on him that Eli has two rings...).  Given the cloud of suspicion, whether deserved or not, that has tarnished the Patriots enviable record in the past decade and a half, victory for a Manning led Denver would shove him right back into the conversation as the G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time). The real difference maker on Sunday however, and probably the main reason for the Broncos being here in the first place is their Defence, with a capital D. A tight secondary backs up what can only be described as a nasty pass rush, a unit that consistently put Tom Brady on his ass two weeks ago. and as the old saying goes, "Offence Sells Tickets, Defence Wins Championships"
     Unfortunately for the Broncos, the Carolina team that they face has, on paper at least, out-performed them on both sides of the ball. Carolina have not looked vulnerable at any meaningful time this year, their single loss to Atlanta coming at a time when their focus was clearly on the postseason, and a late game scare from a Seattle rally more a result of the Panthers easing off (no disrespect to the Seahawks). For me the defining difference between the teams will be Cam Newton. While Denver were able to ragdoll Brady, Cam is a very different beast. A supreme hybrid of intelligence and athleticism, Newton has managed to successfully be the rushing quarterback that people hyped back when RG3 had functional knees and a career, with the crucial smarts and physicality to stay healthy where other scramblers have fallen.
       For me, The Carolina Panthers are the clear favourites in this one. Part of me even worries that Denver may suffer another devastating blowout like the loss to Seattle. Now because I've said that, watch Manning boss the game and then ride off triumphantly into the sunset.

My Prediction: Carolina -8

Join us on Sunday Night in Garvey's Inn to watch the action unfold live

Superbowl 50

This Sunday, 7th of February is the Superbowl, one of the highlights of the football year. For us it has another meaning, as while the Superbowl signals the end of the NFL season, it's also a sign that our own season is getting closer and closer and our anticipation is building. It's also one of the best social nights of the year for everyone in the American Football community, so why not join us at our home, Garvey's Inn, Eyre Square, for Galway's best loved Superbowl tradition, meet the team and find out more about where the Warriors are going in 2016. Gaillimh Abú.

Welcome to The Way of the Warrior, the online home and official blog of the Galway Warriors American Football Club. We hope to keep you up to date with club and league news, team events, fixtures and scores, as well as a few special features and surprises. To keep up to date, follow us on facebook and twitter. We are always looking for more support so if you would like to get involved in any way, as a spectator, player or sponsor don't hesitate to contact us via facebook or email.