By LESLIE COLLINS  
Northeast News
December 11, 2013

Della Lamb football ended their season with a bang, taking first place in their division’s “Super Bowl” game last month.

“These guys pulled together and got the victory,” Della Lamb Football Head Coach Kevin Jackson said. “It was a tough game and I was proud of the way they handled the adversity.”

That adversity included hot weather and thunderstorms which interrupted practice earlier in the week, and finally beating the Blue Valley Panthers, a team they had lost to two years in a row. The final score at the Blue Valley Fourth Grade Football Club D1 Championship game was 22 to 14.

“It was awesome. These guys worked so hard for me,” he said. “I was extremely proud of them the way they pulled together and the way they were focused.”

For four years, the football boys have been playing together and they’ve become like family, said team mom Patricia McCreary.

“It’s been great to watch them grow and mature,” she said. “They’re really good friends. It’s been a great experience and it’s been great watching the kids be a part of something that they can be proud of. They’re just a great group of kids that work really hard.”

McCreary also commended the coaches, saying that they’re excellent role models and are dedicated to the team.

“They step up and really dedicate themselves for the kids,” she said. “It’s a lot of hard work involved, especially when you’re not getting paid.”

Asked what he tries to instill in his players, Jackson said he pushes the importance of education as well as discipline, structure, making the right decisions and setting goals.

“I have a good set of boys and it’s all due to their parents,” he said. “I don’t have a bad kid, a bad attitude on my team, and that’s all due to my parents.”

McCreary said he wants to broaden the children’s horizons by taking them to out-of-town and out-of-state games to expose them to different cultures and competition, but funding is needed.

“We definitely could use sponsorship and donations,” he said.

Donations are also needed for uniforms.

To donate, call Della Lamb at (816) 842-8040 or send a check with Della Lamb football in the memo to Della Lamb at 500 Woodland Ave., Kansas City, MO.

Summing up the football season, Jackson said, “We had a very rewarding season because the kids worked so hard. We improved as the season went on; We had some adversity to overcome, but we did and we came back stronger and finished out the season very strong. They came together for a common goal and got it accomplished.”