It was a typical weekday night of youth football as coach lead their young players through practice sessions and conditioning drills at Rice Field off Route 116.
Cars packed the parking lot as parents, friends and relatives watch their sons play and their daughters go through cheerleading drills. And as fall progresses, and the lights go on, even the concession stand will remain open at practices for an organization founded in 1960.
The Coventry Rams Youth Football and Cheerleading Program, one of the oldest youth football programs in the state, has launched another season of competition and fun on the gridiron and on the sidelines for boys and girls in the community.
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Established in 1960, the Coventry Rams program involves participation by boys and girls who either play on the field or support squads as cheerleaders for the season. The number of hits on the www.coventryrams.com website- 54,422 and counting- is another barometer of just how popular the program is.
“We have 180 boys in our football programs this season,” said League President Ken Cloutier, now in his 16th year with the well-respected organization. "We started practice and conditioning exercises on August 1 and will have our weigh-ins on Saturday"
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There are age and weight requirements for each of nine divisions established by the National Pop Warner Football Organization. Weights can range from 45-90 at the Mitey-Mite Division to 105-160 for the Midgets.
The four contact divisions for Coventry Rams are Mitey Mites, ages 7-9; Junior Pee Wee, 8-10; Pee Wee, 9-11 and Midgets, 11-14. There is also a Flag Football Division for boys and girls ages 5-7, where there is no tackling and blocking allowed. There is also a waiver for someone lighter and older (by a year) within each division.
The league has been vigilant in keeping up with safety issues, especially in knowledge gained about concussions and the effect they can and do have on young and professional athletes.
“Knowing more about concussions has changed the way we teach and practice,” emphasized Cloutier. “We teach our players not to use the head in making tackles. We cut down on contact during the week during practices and limit the number of shots to the head.”
Bill Foley, currently the coach of the Midgets, has been coaching in the Rams organization for eight years. “We have 35 kids this year and that is the biggest turnouts we have. This year we have accepted kids from Exeter and West Greenwich and they have been a great addition.”
“We have been in the Ocean State Pop Warner Football League for the past two seasons,” Cloutier said. “We play crossover games with the Rhode Island Southeastern Mass Association and our champions will play their champion for the state title in each division at the end of the season.”
"Mt. Hope and East Providence have been the champions the past few years and so they are the teams to beat,” said Cloutier.
It is a family operation, too, and it is not uncommon to have three generations of participants in one family as players, officials, coaches and cheerleaders.
“We couldn’t do this without the support of other coaches, team moms and parents,” Foley said. “My sons, Matt and Joseph, play for me. My wife, Rhonda, has been very supportive.”
“We would like to grow even more,” added Cloutier, who has had sons Erik and Adam, go through the program, and now coaches his youngest son, Noah, in the Pee Wees.
The league once had more players and teams, but has now stabilized the past few years. “We might be able to accept a few more players,” said Foley. “We always try to allow as many flag football players as possible.”
Coventry Rams launches its home season on Sunday with the following games:
9:00 a.m.- Mitey Mites vs. Warwick Patriots (2)
10:30 a.m.- Junior Pee Wee vs. Grafton Chiefs
12:00 noon- Exeter-West Greenwich vs. Warwick
1:30 p.m. - Pee Wee vs. Grafton Chiefs
3:00 p.m.- Midgets vs. North Kingstown Jaguars
