While most College Football fans have had August 30 circled on their calendar's for some time and NFL fans can't wait for Thursday, September 6, there is one more date that all true football fans should be aware of.
Saturday, August 2.
On Saturday, August 2, approximately 360,000 children, ages 5-16 will take to the football field as Pop Warner football kicks off it's 78th season. While many of you will be glued to your television sets or heading off to support your favorite college football team, I would encourage you to find a local Pop Warner game and go out and support some of these wonderful and hard working kids!
Coach Urban Meyer with a few of my Knights at the University of Florida Football Camp
According to the Pop Warner website: "Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc. (PWLS) is a non-profit organization that provides youth football and cheer and dance programs for participants in 41 states and several countries around the
world. Consisting of approximately 360,000 young people ranging from
ages 5 to 16 years old, PWLS is the largest youth football, cheer and
dance program in the United States." Pop Warner was founded in 1929.
As the President and Junior Pee Wee Head Coach for the Deland Knights Youth Football and Cheer Association, I have been actively involved with youth football for the past five seasons. As much as I love my Gators and my New York Jets, there is no team that I have a greater passion for then my beloved Deland Knights. I have committed myself to being the best league president and Head Coach that I can be and I know my kids have worked very hard to get ready for this season, as I'm sure most of these kids have worked really hard to get ready for this season.
For those of us that are big fans of youth football, it is a 365 day a year undertaking.From fund raising in December and January, to attending coaches clinics in February, to off season training and team meetings in March and April, to summer Flag football season in May and June, to training in July and kicking off the season in August, most youth football teams have been working toward August 2 since November of last year.
Coaching legends Bobby Bowden and Frank Irizarry comparing notes at the 2007 Nike COY Clinic
Even though our team won the 2006 Mid-Florida Conference (the SEC of youth football) Mitey-Mite Eastern Division championship last year, our kids and coaches did not rest on their laurels. Most of our kids went through rigorous off season training programs. For example, my son John attended the University of Florida Football camp, played Spring/Summer flag football and worked out three times a week with a personal trainer at the All Star Sports Training complex (you really need to check this out to see the future of training for youth athletics). This is no longer the exception as it fast becomes the norm in southern youth football.
John and Gators Defensive Coordinator Charlie Strong
Working out in the Swamp!
The Gator head that the players rub for good luck right at the entrance to the field - a Gator tradition!
Johnny and Coach Urban Meyer
Unless you are involved in it, it is almost impossible to imagine just how hard these kids are working. My kids have been practicing five nights a week since July 30. Rain, heat or any other inclement weather means nothing to these kids and coaches. They are tired and a little beat up but boy are they excited about this coming Saturday!
So.....If you want to see football played with love, heart and passion, go check out a local Pop Warner game this weekend.
If you are sick and tired of hearing about Mike Vick, Pacman Jones, Chris Henry, Tank Johnson and Lance Briggs, go check out a local Pop Warner game this weekend.
If you just plain love football in it's purest form and you want to see the future of the game, go check out a local Pop Warner game this weekend.
I can't stress it enough folks. If you want to see some great football and support some wonderful and hard working kids, go check out a Pop Warner game this Saturday!
I played Pop Warner for 6 years and it was great. I was on the Midlothian Wildcats who finished ranked 7th in the country in 1973! It was a very good team, we even had a "bowl game" where we played the Turner Station Vikings in Baltimore at Morgan State University. That college locker room was the coolest thing any of us had ever seen!
Unfortunately, as in other sports, parents thinking their kid is the next Peyton Manning or Brian Urlacher are starting to make the game a little uglier. My son was never big enough to even play Pop Warner (he was usually 30 pounds below the weight limits for his age).
I must admit, even though he coaches for the dreaded Criminoles, I have a lot of respect for what Bowden has accomplished and he is a really nice guy (having met him on a few occasions).
Let me just say that I was at home in Deland and not in Gainesville last night when my (usually) high speed internet went out. These flash storms in central Florida are something I will NEVER get used to.
Very kewl Frank...would love to see John in a blue and orange uni, but if he's really good, he would look better in cardinal and gold. Haha..great post!
PS>.the dude in the white shirt with Bowden looks like he should be on ESPN next to Kirk and Lee. :)
Bro - Ray's son Rashad was set to play for my Pop Warner team this year until his Association blocked his waiver to come and play with my squad. I've met Ray and he is a great guy with great kids so we are all big Ray Lewis fans in our house. Even though he did play for the dreaded Hurricanes :)
If John could play Division 1 football ANYWHERE I would be a happy man. As far as SC, I would love that. He could be another Sam Baker in 2015!
Although I'd rather be on the sidelines like Bobby, I could live with being in a booth with Kirk and Lee. I just need to get rid of that pesky Chris Fowler guy :)
My name is Frank Irizarry and I am an Assistant Professor of Communication at Suffolk University in beautiful Beantown. I teach courses in public relations. I am an avid sports fan with football being my true passion. I played two seasons of College Football for Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York (1989-1991). My most rewarding football experience though has come in the past four years as the Head Coach for my oldest son's Pop Warner football team, the Deland Knights. This past season we were 8-1, 6-0 in our Division and we finished in third place in the Mid-Florida Conference (The SEC of youth football!) . I used to be a college debate coach so I like to make and hear what I think are good arguments.
Coach Urban Meyer with a few of my Knights at the University of Florida Football Camp
Coaching legends Bobby Bowden and Frank Irizarry comparing notes at the 2007 Nike COY Clinic
John and Gators Defensive Coordinator Charlie Strong
Working out in the Swamp!
