Rory Dillard: Helping Our Kids Learn Sports In Delco County And At The Christy Rec. Center In Philly by Van Stone frontpagenews1@yahoo.com (267) 293-9201
Rory Dillard, Sports Director, Education Adviser.
Rory Dillard, Sports Director, Education Adviser.
Rory Dillard, Coach and Educator
Adviser, has been successful in helping our children with athletics. And
Dillard has done this in both Delaware County and the Philadelphia
region. Is it any wonder that most kids who are endlessly toted around as
youngsters from one game or tournament to another by Coach Rory have moms and
dads ending up showing up to practice and games? For a host of reasons kids
find ways to remain, boosting their hopes and the hopes of their parents who
are counting on good coaching. This is happening because Dillard is taking
the bottom line in what youth service work is really about across Darby, PA,
Yeadon, PA, Lansdowne, PA, East Lansdowne, PA, Upper Darby, as well as sections
of Southwest and West Philly.
Rory Dillard is involved in
children’s sports in Delco County and Philly County community sections,
particularly the 56th and Christian Street Christy Recreation
Center, because he loves to volunteer.
Q. As long as you can remember,
how long have you been surrounded by youth sports and community activities that
cross both Delco County and Philly?
A. I have been involved in youth
sports in Delaware County and Philadelphia for five years, starting in 2009.
Q. When did you
begin coaching football, basketball, and baseball in Southeast Delco
and the 56th and Christian St. Christy Rec. Center area? And is
there any other youth sport that was not mentioned?
A. In 2009 I was brought in by the
President of the Upper Darby Trojans as the Athletic Director to revamp their
program. In 2011 I was appointed the Athletic Director of the R.Y.A.
Ravens located in Yeadon, PA, where we have a travel team for basketball and we
are planning baseball in 2015. In 2013 I joined The Darby Devils who play in
the Philadelphia Phillies RBI youth baseball league as Co Coach.
Q. Who inspired you to work in
community service?
A. There really isn't one individual
in the community that inspired me to do what I do. It has been a
collective group of people throughout my life who have helped me to reach this
point in my life. There have been some high school and college level
coaches that I have drawn from as far as teaching different types
of fundamentals and techniques of the game. My being involved with
youth happened solely because of all my youth coaches and my involvement
in The Boys Club. That's where my foundation and inspiration began as far
as communication, respect, and teamwork stands.
Q. Who would you say helped you
master the art of teaching kids safe sports?
A. I feel like all of my youth
coaches (football, basketball, and baseball) deserve the credit for
me mastering these sports. All of them have taught me the fundamentals,
the techniques, and the strategies of those particular games.
Q. What is the name of the top
youth sports team that you work with in Delaware County and/or
Philly? Provide any details such as the ages involved, the rank,
the class or the division of each sport.
A. There isn't, in my opinion, one
team being alone at the top. But a sports league that caught my eye is
the Delco Football League. The Delco Football League is located in Delaware
County, PA. It consists of 13 teams between Philadelphia, PA and
Chester, PA. The players are ages 5-15. We play weight ball meaning that we
weigh the players before each game. Also there are weight classes from
80lbs-170lbs. In the basketball sport the league is called the Delco Boys
Basketball League. This league runs from December to March, and is broken down
into age groups from 7-18 years of age. Both sports have playoffs,
championships, and All-Star games.
Q. What traits do you feel that kids
from Delco County and Philly area have in common? And why do you feel that
these traits need your attention to help them succeed in school, in the
neighborhood, and cross counties?
A. The student athletes in the
Delco/Philly area that I have encountered have many things in common, such as
their level of competitiveness which is very high and proves their athleticism.
All of the kids work hard and have a unique high intelligence level for the
game and for life. Well, even though I’m proud to talk about the kids' level of
intelligence, these young people still need guidance, coaching, and
encouragement from adults they respect. I've been a coach and a teacher for
twenty years, and I know it's proven if you command respect you must give
respect in order to accomplish anything. Teamwork is the key, along with
communication and respect.
Q. During the spring and through the
summer of 2014 what areas of the city are you hoping to work with to
demonstrate that you are concerned about both youth education and sports
activity? Provide any details about what you feel the youth and/or parents
should do when or if they become involved in excellent youth programs.
A. In the coming months I hope to
get started on football workouts, and get ready to start the season.
Until the time comes when we can start a new football season I will be running
summer basketball and coaching baseball - Go Devils! The R.Y.A. Ravens
territorial concentrations are Darby, Yeadon, Lansdowne, East Lansdowne, Upper
Darby, Southwest and West Philadelphia.
Next up: Coach Rory will team up with
fellow coaches, some who are both former professional and semi professional sports
players, to work basketball competition in West Philly’s 48th and
Brown Street Millcreek Playground section of the city.
If anyone would like to volunteer
for any of the programs (including cheerleading, majorettes, or any of the 3
sports basketball, baseball, or football) you can call the R.Y.A. Ravens
offices for coach Rory at 610-931-7366 or 267-560-3576.
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