American football in American Samoa
Encyclopedia
American football
is a popular sport in American Samoa
, and a significant number of Samoan players have played in the National Football League
(NFL) in the United States. Football in Samoa is played by the same rules as in the United States. In 2010, the island was home to twenty eight players who played in the NFL; a number that has increased each year . This success has given many young players in Samoa the hope that one day they will be able to play professionally
in the U.S.
. President John F. Kennedy
took notice to this article and responded in a short amount of time. He did this by leading an effort to change the ways of the island. In this effort, Kennedy ordered an airport, hotel, school, roads, and homes to be built. In doing this, television came to the island and introduced football to the Samoan people. The natives welcomed the sport with open arms and it is now considered a tradition on the island.
of the island. Even though the elders are the ones that teach the children about the family’s values, the kids are still expected to learn the culture through observing the parents at all times. Initially the children perform chores with an older sibling or someone close in age and try to emulate
their every move.If they are doing the action wrong, the parents will tell them to make sure they do not repeat the same mistake. While the children receive feedback when they do wrong, they are still expected to figure what they did wrong on their own instead of being told.These actions explain why the Samoans are extremely disciplined and take criticism extremely well. This carries over onto the football field and is exhibited by their near perfection when it comes to knowing their assignments. They are also taught to be very tough which translates into hard hits on the field and very limited injuries.
graduates from Samoa who go to play college football
increases. About ten years ago the University of Hawaii
was nearly the only college that recruited players from Samoa, with a few exceptions. Today, schools such as BYU, Arizona
, USC, Western Kentucky
, Texas Tech
, Nevada
, and Tennessee-Chattanooga send assistants to clinics that are held annually on the island. There are several obstacles that discourage coaches from recruiting in Samoa. One of these is the expense and time that is required to travel to the island. There are only two airports in Samoa, so it is very difficult to find a flight service to get you there, and the trip takes approximately fifteen hours. Another obstacle is that the majority of the Samoan athletes struggle to meet the NCAA
academic standards. The majority of athletes grow up in a bilingual household. This causes problems when it comes to the SAT
because the English portion is extremely difficult for the teenagers to complete. Some families realize that this might inhibit their son from being able to play at the college level. As a solution to this language problem, some families choose to send their children to another island or the U.S. proper for high school; they typically send their sons to live with a relative in one of these places.
, a native of Samoa who attended the University of Southern California. He has played for the Pittsburgh Steelers
his whole career and has been on two Super Bowl
winning teams, in 2006 and 2009. With only 65,000 people living in American Samoa today, it has been said that a Samoan boy is forty times more likely to reach the NFL than a boy born in the United States. University of Washington
defensive lineman Tui Alailefaleula
, a native of American Samoa, said "It's the sport we were born to play, football is the game where we can reach our goals and help our families."
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
is a popular sport in American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
, and a significant number of Samoan players have played in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) in the United States. Football in Samoa is played by the same rules as in the United States. In 2010, the island was home to twenty eight players who played in the NFL; a number that has increased each year . This success has given many young players in Samoa the hope that one day they will be able to play professionally
Professional sports
Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...
in the U.S.
History
American football did not arrive in American Samoa until Reader’s Digest published an article titled "America’s Shame in the South Seas." This article stated that simple lifestyle of the island was really just Economy of povertyAmerican Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
. President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
took notice to this article and responded in a short amount of time. He did this by leading an effort to change the ways of the island. In this effort, Kennedy ordered an airport, hotel, school, roads, and homes to be built. In doing this, television came to the island and introduced football to the Samoan people. The natives welcomed the sport with open arms and it is now considered a tradition on the island.
Island culture
In Samoa, like many ancient cultures, everything is done together just like on the football field. The parents and grandparents are the most respected members of the family. The elders are responsible for making sure the children learn about the culture and traditionsCulture of Samoa
The traditional culture of Samoa is a communal way of life based on Fa'a Samoa, the unique socio-political culture of Samoa. In Samoan culture, most activities are done together. There are 3 main parts in the Samoan culture, that is faith, family and music.The traditional living quarters, or fale ,...
of the island. Even though the elders are the ones that teach the children about the family’s values, the kids are still expected to learn the culture through observing the parents at all times. Initially the children perform chores with an older sibling or someone close in age and try to emulate
Emulation (observational learning)
-General:In emulation learning, subjects learn about parts of their environment and use this to achieve their own goals. First coined by child psychologist David Wood , in 1990 “emulation” was taken up by Michael Tomasello to explain the findings of an earlier study on ape social learning...
their every move.If they are doing the action wrong, the parents will tell them to make sure they do not repeat the same mistake. While the children receive feedback when they do wrong, they are still expected to figure what they did wrong on their own instead of being told.These actions explain why the Samoans are extremely disciplined and take criticism extremely well. This carries over onto the football field and is exhibited by their near perfection when it comes to knowing their assignments. They are also taught to be very tough which translates into hard hits on the field and very limited injuries.
College and recruiting
Every year the number of high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
graduates from Samoa who go to play college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
increases. About ten years ago the University of Hawaii
Hawaii Warriors football
The Hawaii Warriors football team represents the University of Hawaii at Mānoa in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team, which is currently coached by Greg McMackin, is part of the Western Athletic Conference until 2012, when the team joins the Mountain West Conference.The Hawaii Warriors...
was nearly the only college that recruited players from Samoa, with a few exceptions. Today, schools such as BYU, Arizona
Arizona Wildcats football
The Arizona Wildcats football team is the football team of the University of Arizona, located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level.-Early years:...
, USC, Western Kentucky
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football program is a college football team that represents Western Kentucky University. The team is currently a member of the Sun Belt Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders football
Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team competes, as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, Nevada
Nevada Wolf Pack football
The Nevada Wolf Pack Football program represents the University of Nevada, Reno in college football. The Wolf Pack competes in the Western Athletic Conference at the Football Bowl Subdivision level of the NCAA...
, and Tennessee-Chattanooga send assistants to clinics that are held annually on the island. There are several obstacles that discourage coaches from recruiting in Samoa. One of these is the expense and time that is required to travel to the island. There are only two airports in Samoa, so it is very difficult to find a flight service to get you there, and the trip takes approximately fifteen hours. Another obstacle is that the majority of the Samoan athletes struggle to meet the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
academic standards. The majority of athletes grow up in a bilingual household. This causes problems when it comes to the SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
because the English portion is extremely difficult for the teenagers to complete. Some families realize that this might inhibit their son from being able to play at the college level. As a solution to this language problem, some families choose to send their children to another island or the U.S. proper for high school; they typically send their sons to live with a relative in one of these places.
Players in the NFL
In 2010, the National Football League included a total of 1,696 players. Of those players, 28 of them were from American Samoa. In the 2010 draft, four Samoans were selected in the first four rounds including Nebraska's Toniu Fonoti (second round, San Diego) and UNLV's Anton Palepoi (second round, Seattle). Out of those players, the best-known is Troy PolamaluTroy Polamalu
Troy Aumua Polamalu is an American football strong safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Steelers. He played college football at the University of Southern California.-High school:Troy Polamalu graduated...
, a native of Samoa who attended the University of Southern California. He has played for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
his whole career and has been on two Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
winning teams, in 2006 and 2009. With only 65,000 people living in American Samoa today, it has been said that a Samoan boy is forty times more likely to reach the NFL than a boy born in the United States. University of Washington
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
defensive lineman Tui Alailefaleula
Tui Alailefaleula
Tui Alailefaleula was an American football defensive tackle in the NFL. He played college football for the Washington Huskies, and was signed as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Washington, where he played mostly offensive line, by the New York Giants...
, a native of American Samoa, said "It's the sport we were born to play, football is the game where we can reach our goals and help our families."
External links
- http://espn.go.com/gen/s/2002/0528/1387810.html