It's the biggest event of the regular season for the South Delta Rams Community Football Club as all teams hit the field Sunday at Dennison Park for the annual Green and Gold Day.
An action-packed schedule begins at 9 a.m. with two levels of flag football.
"The flag format has been growing exponentially the past five years, and this is the first year our kids are playing both a fiveman and a nine-man version," explained Rams president Angela Yamaoka. "The flag format is an easy starting path for kids and
parents who are looking for the thrills of playing football without equipment and contact."
The traditional tackle version of the game begins with the Atom nine player format at 10 a.m. and continues with three more divisions - Pee Wee (11:45 a.m.), Junior Bantam (1:30 p.m.) and finally a North versus South Delta Bantam game at 3:30 p.m. Green Gold Day also features cup cakes for all the visiting teams and fans, L'aromas mobile coffee cart, haircuts by Legacy designs, and vehicle test drives with the Columbia Dodge
Chrysler group.
"For a smaller catchment area, South Delta definitely plays above its weight in football," says club vice-president of operations Jeffrey Stalling noting last year's provincial titles for the Bantam squad and the South Delta Sun Devils.
The foundational skills instilled with the Rams productively transitions to the Sun Devils, with the two groups sharing a unique "community and high school" partnership, rather than the more common "or" situations seen across most of the Lower Mainland. The community-focused Rams are able to develop a broad base of players from the entire South Delta region.
"Last season, a continuity program was put in place to support the Rams to Sun Devils transition, and this year we have seen a doubling in numbers from four to eight players having roles with both teams," notes Rams Bantam head coach Brent Calvert.
Previous Green Gold Days have featured quite a slew of players moving on from the Rams to Sun Devils to Canadian college, junior and professional ranks, including current secondyear member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders Dylan Ainsworth.
Rams alumni currently playing with at the CIS University level include: David Mann, Riley Jones and Chris Adams (UBC Thunderbirds); Mitch Rushton (SFU Clansmen), Jack McDonald and Blake Gau (Calgary Dinosaurs); along with Lucas Kirk and Gord Cooper (Mount Allison). Currently participating at the B.C. Junior Football level are Ryan Marquardt of the Okanagan Sun and Jeremy Carmichael, Denis Olivera and Rene Sencio Jr. of the Langley Rams.
Come out and cheer on your community football teams at the 2015 Green Gold Day!
