Other Teams and Activities
In addition to the senior team, the Gladiators have run a youth team for players between the ages of 14 and 18 since 2008. The team play fully kitted football in the 9-a-side and 11-a-side categories. In the 2009 season, they played in the BAFL Youth's Central Conference, where they compete against the youth teams of the Birmingham Bulls, Cambridgeshire Cats, Norwich Devils, Peterborough Saxons, Tamworth Phoenix and the Redditch Arrows. They finished second in this division with a record of six wins, one defeats and one tie and qualified for the play-offs, where they lost 0–24 to the London Warriors.
During the early part of 2008 the Gladiators formed a Dance Team who perform at all the senior team's home games, as well as at club and other promotional events throughout the year. The Dance Team perform modern dance styles and are trained by a professional dance choreographer.
The Gladiators have also played friendly matches in other sports in order to strengthen ties with local organisations. In 2005, they played two challenge cricket matches against local teams. The first of these matches ended in a three wicket victory over Chappels & Wakes Colne CC, which included a three-wicket haul for defensive coach Karl Bourke. The second match ended in a heavy defeat to Frinton CC. In the 2006 close season, a number of Gladiators players joined together with a number of players from Colchester rugby club to play a friendly match at Harwich. After conceding an early try, they came back to win 25–5.
Read more about this topic: Colchester Gladiators (American Football)
Famous quotes containing the words teams and/or activities:
“A sturdy lad from New Hampshire or Vermont who in turn tries all the professions, who teams it, farms it, peddles, keeps a school, preaches, edits a newspaper, goes to Congress, buys a township, and so forth, in successive years, and always like a cat falls on his feet, is worth a hundred of these city dolls. He walks abreast with his days and feels no shame in not “studying a profession,” for he does not postpone his life, but lives already.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“The old, subjective, stagnant, indolent and wretched life for woman has gone. She has as many resources as men, as many activities beckon her on. As large possibilities swell and inspire her heart.”
—Anna Julia Cooper (1859–1964)