Wexford’s American football team are on the look-out for new members

On a late-summer evening, Gorey Town Park is alive….

The playground rattles with the sound of children climbing and swinging. Joggers lap the outer path, their heads turning as they pass. The smell of cut grass lingers in the air, the golden light stretching long across the field.

For now, the Eagles are absent. The helmets and pads are packed away and waiting. But the park knows what’s coming. Soon, the drills will return, the clatter of gear, the calls of coaches, the first collisions breaking the evening air.

When that moment comes, two players who once stood in those first-timer’s shoes will be back as veterans. Just a year ago, Dave Hill and Joe Loftus were rookies who had never pulled on a helmet. Now, as they head into their second season, their first as veterans, they know exactly what’s expected of them, and what’s possible for anyone willing to try.

The First Step

Dave’s route into football was as accidental as it was inevitable. His brother-in-law coaches the team and had been trying to coax him down for months.

Eventually, he turned up with a friend, expecting a laugh, a run-around, and maybe a few padded hits for the novelty. But something clicked:

“The drills, the discipline, the craic, it was all there,” he says. “I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I came for a laugh, but I stayed because I wanted to get better.”

Joe’s story started with a patch of faded paint in Gorey Town Park that read “Eagles.” As a Philadelphia native, the name was instantly familiar.

“I thought, no way… there’s a team here called the Eagles?” he laughs.

A new dad and an “older guy” by rookie standards, he wanted to get in shape, set an example for his daughter, and be part of something bigger than himself. The name on the field was enough to make him reach out, and within weeks he was at his first training.

Thrown In

Neither of them arrived with illusions that American football was easy. But both admit they underestimated the physicality and the pace. Joe remembers his first training vividly:

“We started doing some simple running drills – sidestep, high knees, backpedal – and it just kept going. I figured we’d do maybe 10 of them, take a break, and do another round. Nope. We did maybe 25 different types of drills, each time running 10, 15, or 20 yards and back. No delays in between each one, just go, go, go. I was exhausted and that was before the footwork drills, route running, blocking, formations… I realised quickly this wasn’t “backyard ball”. This was serious.”

For Dave, the shock came from the mental side:

“You can’t just throw yourself at the first person you see. You have to trust that everyone else is doing their job, and focus on doing yours. It’s easy to think you’re helping by reacting to whatever’s in front of you, but sometimes that just ruins the play. Learning that discipline took time.”

Moments That Stick

Every rookie has that one moment where the game starts to make sense. For Dave, it came in a drill against a coach he’d never thought he could stop:

“I got the movement right, held my ground, and shut the play down. The coach gave me a nod, that was it. They’d had faith in me before I did, but that was the moment I thought, ‘OK, I can be useful here.’”

Joe’s turning point was about the environment:

“I saw mistakes being made all around me, mine included. But instead of frustration, there was teaching. Teammates giving tips, coaches explaining the ‘why’ behind things. It wasn’t just about me thinking ‘I can do this.’ It was about realising anyone can do this if they’re willing to put in the effort.”

From Rookies to Veterans

A year later, Dave and Joe are no longer the wide-eyed new guys trying to remember the difference between a post and a slant. They know how sessions run. They understand the terminology. They know the grind of Tuesday and Thursday nights when the rain is horizontal, and the satisfaction of walking back to the car after a good practice.

More importantly, they’ve become part of the team’s heartbeat. They’re now the ones explaining footwork to a newcomer, or clapping a teammate on the shoulder after a rep. They’re the ones remembering what it felt like to be new and making sure the next rookie settles in quickly.

For Dave, it’s the camaraderie and constant improvement that keep him coming back:

“My social life hasn’t been this good in years. You hang out, you stay fit, and every week you see yourself get a little better. That’s addictive.”

For Joe, it’s about pride and belonging:

“I’m doing this to get in shape for my daughter so I can be a better father. But I’m also doing it for that sense of being part of something bigger. I think we all need that.”

The Invitation

Preseason is here, and the next wave of rookies is out there somewhere, maybe jogging through the Town Park, maybe sitting at home wondering if it’s too late to try (it’s definitely not).

Dave has an answer for them:

“Coming down for a session might seem intimidating, but the team makes everyone feel welcome and we love seeing new starters.”

Joe adds: “At 44, I’ll be the oldest guy on the team next season. I’ve never played organised sport in my life. If I can do it, you can do it. No excuses. Just jump in and have fun.”

The golden light will fade, the autumn rain will come, and the season will arrive. But right now, the gates are open, the gear is ready, and the field is waiting. All that’s missing is you.The Eagles train Thursdays (8pm-10pm) and Sundays (11am-1pm) at Castletown Liam Mellows indoor facility, with the first preseason session tonight Thursday 4th September. Come along and say hello, watch, or even take part!

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