United we stand. Divided we fall.

After just a year ago of sun-soaked faces, kids everywhere, people lining the Zenith Park outskirts in lawn chairs -- the music has died. There are two Des Moines Rams Junior Football League divisions without teams even.

What happened with all the action last year at this time, the hot dogs and pop concessions freely given out, an upbeat mood from the president.

"A lot of kids did not pay to play last year," said Rams 89ers division coach Fred Archie, who has eight and nine year olds on the team. That's one of three teams that has a team, with the two oldest age groups, the Bantams, and, the Pee Wees being the other two.

This year?

"No pay, no play," said Archie.

That's translated into no players. Well, there are 45 playing, about a 15 average for each team. But for football? C'mon now, that's a lot of playing on both sides of the ball, offense and defense.

Not going into too many details, the mom of Saber Bolinger, a Pee Wee, Sarah said, "There was a difference of opinion with the board."

And the president, as he just walked up and left partway through the season, according to Bolinger and Archie.

The details, the details, they should be on the kids. Shouldn't they?

Archie specifically put the onus on the president.

"Basically it was dealings with our president," said Archie, who has coached the 89ers the last three seasons now. "They did things not appropriate, so most of the parents decided to keep their kids out or take them elsewhere until things shaped up."

So the kids had really nothing to do with things?

"No, it was adult issues, not issues with kids," said Archie.

Kind of reminds one of the parent in Pittsburgh that took a knife to a Little League coach's throat because his son was not getting enough playing time. Well, that was 4-5 years at least ago now, but hopefully the point is well taken. The kid suffers. I can say without guessing that kid on that Little League team never played another inning of baseball that season. Because of what someone else did.

But let's look at the positives, and, there are a lot of positives. There was help from the community last year, the police officers guild donated money so the kids could have trophies, and, 'The Soggy Doggy' business in Des Moines helped with gift certificates.

But, perhaps, the community could do more as Archie said.

"We lost $40,000 because we let kids play for free. Hopefully we could get some money from some sponsors but we couldn't get that."

"A lot of kids can't play because we don't have sponsors," said Bolinger.

Well, that's all details, as Bolinger said. The program is actually in the red, not the black. The facts remain that a large chunk of that cash loss came from candy sales that a company doubled giving the Rams organization by mistake, so the story goes.

And if double the candy was given mistakenly then why not give the extra amount of candy back and get money back?

"I think they kept the candy," said Bolinger.

Never returned it?

"No, I don't think so," she said.

So, problems abound in the Rams organization and not little problems or they would have had a lot more football players practicing in preparation for the first game this past August 27 at Highline Stadium, Sunday.

No Rams teams fared well enough to make the playoffs last year, as we move along. But there were positives in the play of some division teams from the Rams, like the 89ers.

"We won two games and had a tie," said Archie, who also coaches the three Sweet Peas players that cannot play this year because of not having enough turn out for a team, but, at least they can practice. "But we weren't blown out of any game. Our worst defeat was I think 14-0."

Players for the 89ers admit that the coaching does its job.

"They are making us better at football," said Mario Duron, 9. "Because they push us so hard."

Tired after practice?

"Yeah, I go home, take a shower, and sit down and rest, mostly almost every day we do a lot of running."

And that has to be done, since with only about 15 players on the entire team, the 89ers must be better conditioned because they cannot be better in depth. Most teams have around 30-40 kids per team, like the Federal Way Hawks' 89ers and the Burien Bearcats'.

"We are the best conditioned team in the league," said Archie. "We have to be. Last year our motto was 'Never Quit.' This year it's pride. It has to be, that is all we got to play for."

The 89ers had close to 30 players last year.

Some of the players for Archie's team include his son, Devante Archie, and, his nephew, Tony Archie, and others are Mario Duron and Nate Jones.

"The players are catching on quickly to what we are trying to do so we are getting to run a lot because of it," said Archie.

"You can see how much running we do. It's been a half hour since practice started and all they have been doing are drills that have a lot of running in them."

The Pee Wees will try and run themselves into the playoffs. They got three wins last year when four would have likely been enough to have made it to the JFL post season.

"We are going to make it this year," said Richard Palmer, who quarterbacked the team last year.

Palmer is going to throw to wide receiver Miguel Cambray.

"Hopefully he will, if he wants to get TD's," said Cambray.

Good hard practices are in order under coach Mike Thompson for the Pee Wees.

"Yeah, it was a good practice today. We ran a lot," said Cambray after a recent practice at Zenith.

The Pee Wees have a good nucleus back in Palmer, Cambray and also running back Eric Lewis is returning along with Bolinger, Wally Aguilar and Henry Lopez.

"Last year wasn't so good," said Cambray. "We missed the playoffs by an inch. That was kind of awful."

But things look better this time around.

"Our quarterback has improved. He is better with the throws," said Cambray.

Is Palmer fast?

"Not really. He just has an arm," said Cambray.

Thompson was talking as he actively participated in practice.

On one play, a blitz, Thompson went and showed Palmer how to step back and release the ball quickly.

"It's 1, 2, and on 3 you're throwing the ball," said Thompson, who smoothly made a throw to a wide receiver, too.

His passion in helping the kids is evident as here's just one thing he said in a voice-filled, instructional, praising practice of Thompson's.

"That;s right, that is exactly where I want you throwing the ball, to the receiver's outside shoulder," said Thompson. "That way the safety, even if he does read the play, cannot pick off the pass."

Aguilar, a wide receiver, like Cambray, is being looked to as a leader, as are all the veterans.

"I want to help the new guys," said Aguilar. "Encourage them and not bring them down. I am going to help out."

What about yourself? How are those plays coming along that coach is showing you in practice?

"I keep that playbook in my mind. I wrote it down, all of it," said Aguilar.

"The players are very responsive," said coach Thompson. "They are all class acts."

The goal for the season?

"MY goal is to get the best performance from each and every one of them, every single one has talent," said Thompson.

The last group is the Bantams that have a team. They are coached by Kenny Kelley, and their players were at weigh-ins on the Wednesday practice.

But a couple players and an assistant coach filled in for Kelley, who is also the president now.

Barry Williams brought back the negative things as he was talking about the program that went south in attendance because of circumstances beyond the kids' control that made it so parents did not have kids participate this year.

"It's more about the presence of the organization unfortunately," said Williams. "And it should just be about the kids having fun learning football."

Josh Turner of the Bantams spoke of the season and how he wants to have fun in it.

"It is my favorite sport," he said.

What about the cheerleaders, how do they help?

"They keep the crowd loud and they just cheer us," said Turner. "They help you to play harder."

Some of the cheerleaders said a few things about cheerleading.

Nevaeh Odom said, "It's fun."

Why?

"Because you get to learn stuff," she said. "You meet new people and make new friends."

"It's fun to work with the girls, they come to me for help and I like to help them," said Brianna Donovan.

Five days a week, two hours a day, coaches sacrificing time from jobs, kids off the street, businesses supporting kids...

A lot said. For so many reasons, this sport of football is good for the kids, not to mention the adults. Our innate desire inside us all is to help. It's human nature, God-given or whatever. It's good that we feel inside when we work together to help each other succeed. Hopefully everyone can become like a very popular commercial played throughout the NFL football season -- Do things the united way.