By Stacy Case
After a year or so of the world undergoing mass uncertainty, disappointing sports cancellations and worldwide influx, the Parkland Rangers Tackle Football Club was not only able to run its 2021 season business as usual, but its four teams each earned a playoff berth in their respective age divisions. One of the teams, in fact, represented the program at the semi-final playoff tier. The program, needless to say, was able to get back to basics and then some.
“Our goal at the beginning of the season was to be able to give back some sense of normalcy to this community,” said Will Billings, who completed his fifth year as the Parkland Rangers President. “Our league wanted to do everything possible in order to (once again) allow our kids to grow and develop from the beginning of the season to the end,” Will said.
Mission accomplished by Will and his half-a-dozen Board Members and approximately 30 other volunteers, who include coaching staff, team parents sideline personnel and plenty of others.
“Everyone was just so engaged and committed to everything this season; to have (Rangers) football in our lives again and to accomplish that without any disruptions was excellent,” Will adds.
This season, the Rangers’ divisions were comprised of players ages 8U, 10U, 12U and 14U, whereas the 12Us fell short when they met up with the Fort Lauderdale Falcons in a late October match-up.
And since about early August when the teams began practicing at their home field of Pine Trails Park, Will said it was then when he felt his group was getting back to its routine.
Additionally, the Rangers had a parents-only pre-season dinner event to kickoff the season and with the newly-sodded fields, Will and company were even happier to host their Pop Warner opponents from Boca Raton, Weston, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and South Bay.
“It was nice to have all of the spectators on our sidelines once again,” said Will, as he was proud to show off his venue’s newly manicured field.
Moreover, the program went back to its tradition of pre-game team dinners with the families, rooted on its cheerleaders at a pre-season competition showcase at home and completed the rest of the season without a hitch.
The Parkland Rangers played (pretty much) as a second home to approximately 100 players and with this season’s success, Will hopes to surpass that amount for the 2022 games when registration opens up sometime in the Spring. Will’s optimism may be based on the Parkland Rangers’ 98 percent return rate from one season to the next.
“It was just great to get back out there; for everyone,” Will adds.
