The Romeoville Spartans History
The Romeoville Spartans history goes back to 1965 when Bud Watters and Dale Blum Sr. started the Romeoville Spartans football Club with an initial investment of $1500.00 and a Midget team of about 30 kids. For the next six years Watters and Blum fielded at least three teams each year and produced a number of championship squads. A local newspaper clip put it like this, “The teams put out by Watters and Blum have been known as the best equipped and the best disciplined teams in the conference.”
In 1972, Bud Watters was transferred to Springfield, Illinois by his employer. Dale Blum Sr. took over as president of the club in 1973.
With the continued help of countless dedicated volunteers, the Romeoville Spartans eventually to a league of eight football teams and cheerleading squads. The Romeoville Football Club was based on teaching basic fundamentals of football, discipline, sportsmanship, and the respect of others. The reward for this philosophy was championships.
Finally, in 1980, Dale Blum Sr. retired for the Romeoville Spartans. Blum dedicated 15 years to the kids. During this time the Spartans traveled to the Orange Bowl in Florida and played against a Minnesota Football club in a yearly rivalry that lasted for several years. Blum passed the rains of the organization over to several dedicated members. The success of the Romeoville Spartans Football club was a community effort. From donations to volunteers, all of Romeoville supported the Spartans.
In the late 1980’s the program ceased to exist and many of our children participated in the Bolingbrook Trojan program.
Romeoville’s population exploded in the 1990’s and, with that growth came the desire to rebuild the youth football organization. Interest meetings were held, fliers were distributed throughout the school district and there was a positive response from the community to recreate the Romeoville Spartans Football club. In 1998, after an 11 year absence, Romeoville Youth Football and Cheerleading was established. After six months of due diligence and a $25,000.00 donation from local homebuilder, Lakewood Homes, the Romeoville Spartans their first season registration in 1999 and fielded 4 football teams and 4 cheerleading squads.
Romeoville Youth Football and Cheerleading continued to grow each season. In 2001, cheerleading was expanded to include pom poms. In 2002 Dale Blum Field was dedicated and became the home of the Romeoville Spartans. The 2004 season saw the first championship after six seasons. The Varsity team defeated the Oswego White Panthers 22-14 on their home turf in the River Valley Conference Super Bowl.
In 2005, RYFC awarded their first annual scholarship to 1 male and 1 female RYFC alumnus and RHS graduate to assist with the cost of college tuition.
The 2007 season included a recreational flag football program of 5, 6, and 7 year olds. In 2008, the flag football program was expanded to include 8, 9, and 10 year olds. That same year, the Spartan superlights brought home the second Super Bowl Championship. RYFC move to the Chicagoland Pop warner football program in 2009.
In 2010, RYFC moved back to the River Valley league as our organization strives on keeping our families and organization as a whole together on game days, Pop Warner did not work for those needs of our families. RYFC continued to grow and thrive over the next several years. Our cheer program began to grow and for the last several years have become a competitive cheer organization participating in IRCA cheerleading competitions with several of our teams each year earning bids to the state competition.
Currently, RYFC is a part of the Southwest Midget Football League and earning a name for ourselves within the league. Our organization has incorporated many new and fun events during the season and off-season as well including Rally Night, Homecoming, Season kick off events, post season bowls, etc. One newly added event which we are extremely excited about is our Hall of Fame event. Each year members of our past alumni of RYFC will be selected to be inducted in the RYFC Hall of Fame to be held at one of our home games each season. Our program continues to brainstorm and research fun and exciting things to add each season to make every season a satisfying and enjoyable one for our families. Included in these new events are also many in season and off season training and workout opportunities for our football players to continue to excel and compete within our league.
RYFC continues to build on its success and continues to maintain the original philosophy the brought that success: teaching fundamentals, discipline, sportsmanship, and the respect of others. RYFC is proud of its history, its current progress and looks forward to providing opportunities for youth and adults to be part of a growing and positive organization.
