New season of Rams football begins
The Battle River Football Association’s Rams are looking to have a big team this season with a good mix of players spread evenly from Grade 9 to 12.
The Rams are part of the Alberta 6-man Football Association, and feature players from all around Flagstaff County and Viking.
Head Coach, former Edmonton Eskimo Kevin Lefsrud, is back, along with former player Peyton Sevcik, Jason Loosemore, and Barry Rawluk assisting.
Lefsrud says he has eight returning players from last year, and around 20 players for this year’s team, with at three, or possibly four of those from Viking, and the rest from Flagstaff County.
The Alberta 6-man league is split into three divisions, each has roughly half urban and half rural teams.
The Rams are in the East Division, along with Provost, Redwater, and from Edmonton, Millwoods Christian School, L. Y. Cairns, and new to the league this year, Archbishop Oscar Romero High School.
“More and more schools are going to the 6-man format,” says Lefsrud. “It’s a lot better chance for kids to develop football skills.”
In small schools, with limited resources, he says player development can start to suffer with a 12-man team.
“Football is football,” he says, adding that if he ever had enough players turn out, he’d make a move to 9-man in a minute.
Lefsrud says he’s continually impressed by the players in the Rams association, “It’s the kids wanting to play, looking at how motivated they are to be here, makes me want to be here.”
Lefsrud doesn’t put a lot of pressure on players to win, he says, for him it’s about learning the skills, putting your heart into it, and enjoying the game.
Lefsrud is also impressed at the amazing support the club gets from the community.
The team will start the pre-season at home on tonight against Oscar Romero. “It’s always nice to play a new team,” says Lefsrud.
Their next game is Friday, Sept. 11 in Redwater, and then they are in Millwoods, Sept. 18.
Their next home game isn’t scheduled until September 25 when they will rematch against Oscar Romero.
Leslie Cholowsky
Editor
