EDITORIAL

While many fans dream of the day for a trip to see the Dallas Cowboys in action at AT&T Stadium each fall, two area youth football teams have taken it to the next level.

 

Fifth and sixth grade Wildcat players of Sulphur Springs Youth Football and Cheer and the Delta County Youth Football Cooper Bulldogs had the opportunity Sunday to experience game play on the field at the Arlington stadium, going up against four teams during the Red Zone Games event.

 

Head coach for the Wildcats, Brian Batchelor said that they’re already looking forward to next year.

 

“It’s a great experience for the kids,” he said. “I would recommend it for anybody. There’s no pressure, just having fun.”

 

Sean Williams, another coach for the SSYFC fifth and sixth grade team, said of the experience, “Being on the field, being in that atmosphere is probably the most amazing thing.”

 

For coaches and parents alike, the Red Zone Games is all about the kids.

 

“They go out there, and we throw everything out there at them,” Williams said. "We even had one of the biggest guys on the team carrying the ball. We just all went out there to have fun.”

 

Matching two competitive but familiar teams together, the Wildcats and the Bulldogs met each other on the field with friendly attitudes and smiles.

 

“All the teams were friends,” Batchelor said. “It was competitive, but they were all high-fiving each other.”

 

Williams added, “The sportsmanship was pretty awesome. We were cheering on teams when they were playing, and they were cheering on us when we were playing.

 

Ruben Ramos, coach for the fifth and sixth grade Cooper Bulldogs, has made the trip to AT&T Stadium for the past three years.

 

“Every year (the teams) went, we’ve been every time,” Ramos said. “I’ve done this for so long; I coached my little brother and then my other little brother before (my sons).”

 

Sons John, 10, and Adrain, 11, went with their fellow Bulldogs to have fun, not so much to win, their coach and dad explained.

 

“They love it,” Ramos said of the team. “We had six or seven kids that had never went. It’s an experience for them. And to see how big their eyes get — they get into it. They love it.

 

“It’s the third year for my kids, but they still get excited about playing on a field where professionals play,” Ramos continued. “Overall, the (team) love to play, and they enjoy more seeing how many teams there are in the state of Texas.”

 

The exhibition games played provide youth football teams with players up to 12 years old the chance to try their skills with other beginner teams from other states. This year, the farthest a participating team traveled was from Kansas.

 

The Wildcats first played Cooper, followed by the Odessa (Texas) Seahawks, Holy Cross out of Kansas, then had a rematch against Cooper.

 

“It’s an adventure,” Williams said. “Kids get to see different schools. Different kids come from different states. … It’s good for the kids to enjoy themselves and play against teams they don’t ever see.”

 

That attitude, he and Batchelor agreed, could go a long way in the upcoming league playoff games.

 

“Maybe it will motivate us,” Batchelor speculated. “We got our quarterback back. He broke his arm early in the season.”

 

Each exhibition lasted only about 15 minutes, and in that time, teams were required to get in at least eight plays for every six minutes. All games were played on a half-field, beginning at the 40-yard line to the end zone.

 

According the Red Zone Games web site (www.redzonegames.com), touchdowns are six points and any other scoring plays are two points.

 

Visitors (mostly family and close friends) had access to one side of the lower level stadium seating for the best viewing of their favorite teams. When their players were done battling it out on the indoor turf, everyone was invited to take a self-guided tour of the stadium, which included both Dallas cheerleader and football player locker rooms, the press conference room and a walk onto the center of the field for pictures on the iconic blue star.

 

“My kids only go to two lockers every time,” Ramos said. “Every year it’s Sean Lee and Dez Bryant. I can’t get them to go to any of the others.”

 

Not only do the games give youth football players a day to remember, Williams said that it also gives them an opportunity to dream.

 

“To step on the field that their main player they watch in the NFL, (the kids) run into that end zone,” Williams said. “Kids doing things like the NFL players would do — spiking the ball, running up and jumping on the goal post — it gives them a little chip on their shoulder. Maybe one day in their life this is something they want to do with their career. This is something to look forward to. This is where they’ll be playing at and be one of the superstars.

 

For more information on Red Zone Games, visit them online at https://www.redzonegames.com.

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Tag: Feature

Source: Sulphur Springs News Telegram