聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Eighteen-year-old football player Marshall Delorme has played in the Saskatchewan Bowl, made the Manitoba All-Star team, and now, has been signed to the Regina Thunder and will attend their fall football camp. Delorme's career has also taken him to the football-crazy state of Texas-where he competed against teams from both the Lonestar State and Mexico. However, the young athlete-who plays on the defensive line-says that the game has also taught him some universal lessons-the importance of self-discipline, respect for oneself and others, and how critical it is for a player to manage their emotions during competition.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淵ou can't be nice while you're playing football,鈥� says Delorme, a grade 12 student at Carlyle's Gordon F. Kells High School. 鈥淏ut you have to control your anger. Once you let an opposing player get stuck in your head, you're done. You can't be afraid to tackle someone, so in that sense, you have to play dirty. But you do have to play fair and remember self-discipline and self respect.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲hat you do on the field doesn't just affect you, it affects your team. You have to work together every play, so if one person gets upset, it affects the whole team.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淥ne time, a player threw his helmet on the ground, because he was mad,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 just stood the helmet up on the bench. That's a big part of discipline. You hopefully control yourself or you try and make things right for your team.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淎 lot of times, there are cheap shots and mouthy players on the field,鈥� says Delorme. 鈥淥nce there was a really cocky running back on the opposing team. He scored the first play of the game and as soon as I could,聽 I pushed him. It was a game where I received an award for the most tackles. It's not personal, but it's really important to channel your aggression the right way. And that's on the field, doing your best to help your team win.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Delorme's most recent accomplishment is his selection to the Regina Thunder's roster. He has been officially signed and will attend two more of the Thunder's camps-one at the end of July and one in the fall.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭he main Regina Thunder camp was this winter,鈥� says Delorme. 鈥淭here were three camps held in Moose Jaw and I made all of them. Then, there was a spring camp in Regina. But I'm not taking any chances. I'm working with a trainer now-Deanna from WW Fitness in Redvers-I started about three months ago.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚'm really into training and I'm on a meal plan now. I'm on 4,200 calories a day, which means I eat six eggs a day for breakfast. I work out whenever I can and I do my best to fit it all in. It's not that hard now, because I have an easier second semester at school, as far as credits go.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淏ut I definitely need explosiveness off the line, so that's something I'm working on. I want to be bench-pressing 225 pounds at the Thunder's fall camp and I'm at 205 pounds right now, so hopefully, I'll get there by July.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Delorme's football career began when he was in grade seven. A resident of Kenosee Lake, he played for the Estevan Steelers during grades seven and eight, then moved on to Estevan Comphrehensive's High School Elects team and later, went on to play for the Moosomin Generals.
听听听听听听听听听听听 While playing for the Generals, Delorme was selected to play for the Manitoba All-Star team.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚t's kind of cool how they pick you,鈥� he says. 鈥淓ven though Moosomin is in Saskatchewan, their location makes it hard for them to compete against Saskatchewan teams. So they're actually part of Manitoba's southern league. I was one of 11 people chosen for their All-Star team.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Delorme was also chosen to play in the Saskatchewan Bowl-in which two teams made up of the best players from the northern and southern parts of the province- competed this year at Griffiths Stadium at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚t's a nine-man game where players from the north and south come together,鈥� says Delorme. 鈥淲e practiced over the whole May long (weekend) and then we played the game.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭hat weekend, I was kind of nervous,鈥� says Delorme. 鈥淭he scouts were really watching and the coaches for the Thunder were there, too. But once the game started, it was the best game of my life, really. I really focused in.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭he night before, they took us to the stadium for a banquet, so we got to see how big it was. It was a great experience to play there.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Delorme's football experience isn't limited to Canada, however.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲hen I was 15, I played for U16 Team Saskatchewan in a tournament in San Antonio, Texas. We were actually Team Canada down here. It was way more intense and we played teams from San Antonio and Mexico,鈥� he says.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚n Texas, everybody on the teams are built,鈥� adds Delorme. 鈥淭hey're mean, they're aggressive and they are there to win. The team from Mexico was a fast team, but they were all just really small.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲e came second in that tournament. I broke my wrist while I was playing there. But it was a good experience and I'm glad I was able to play there. And it's true-football is really big in Texas!鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 As a football player in a country where hockey predominates, Delorme says one of the sacrifices he makes is not seeing his hockey-playing friends as often as he'd like.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭hey're into hockey and baseball,鈥� he says. 鈥淚'm playing football during baseball season and in winter, while they're playing hockey, I'm working.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淏ut I don't regret it. Football has already taught me so much and given me a lot,鈥� says Delorme. 鈥淭here should be more kids from Carlyle playing football. I know a lot of people worry that they're not the right size, but a lot of my friends are fast or quick or strong and that's enough for them to play football.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淥ne of my smaller friends played in Estevan. He wasn't the biggest guy, but he was fast and he turned out to be one of the best tacklers on the team.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚 became interested in football, because I always watched football with my dad-especially the Riders. And I still have so much to thank my family for, for all they've done for me.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥� I'm really glad I gave the game a chance, and now I do want to keep playing football and see where it takes me.鈥�
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