North Pop Warner counts down to kickoff
For Pop Warner programs all over the country, Aug. 1 is a big day as it’s the first official day of practice, meaning football season is upon us.
At the North Fort Myers Junior Football Association, they’ve handed out the helmets and kids have taken the field. By the time you read this, they will be in pads, hitting and getting ready for the annual Jamboree, which happens next week.
Joy Moore, president of the association, said the first day went well, with most of the children getting what they needed to take the field.
“The kids got here at 6 p.m. for helmet fittings. The kids knew what teams they were on and contacted the team moms and coaches,” Moore said. “The kids knew which field to go to.”
That’s not a lot of time to get ready, and with the requirement that kids have to work 10 hours without pads before contact can begin, every minute counts, especially in Florida, where lightning is always a factor.
As expected, it was on the first day that the lightning detector went off midway through practice. Coaches used the time wisely by going into the classroom to go over the offense and defense before the all clear came 30 minutes later.
Much of the first day was devoted to drills and conditioning for the younger players, with little or no sight of a football.
As far as participation numbers are concerned, they are at or above what they were last year, which is surprising with the Cowboys football organization also in town. All six competitive football teams are rostered, unlike last year when there was no varsity team.
“Junior pee wee and mitey mites are completely full and have waiting lists. Pee wee is almost full and tinny mites and unlimited have just a few spots left,” Moore said. “In cheer we still have a few openings there.”
Christopher Reeves, who coaches the JV team, said he and Troy McDonald’s varsity team will combine their practices, since the varsity team has a lack of coaches and both teams are limited in terms of players.
“We didn’t know if we would be able to fill varsity, so we’ll be intermingled. On game day, we will coach for four hours,” Reeves said. “The only things we can’t do together are hitting drills, but we will combine to help the coaches out.”
Last season, cheer had four squads make it at least to regionals. This season they are expected to do the same as participation stayed flat, according to first-year cheer coordinator Robert Babcock, whose daughters have been cheering for at least four years.
“It looks promising. We have a lot of returning talent and a lot of new girls with experience, so we’re looking forward to a good year,” Babcock said. “We have 80-plus girls and I think we can have three teams go to nationals.”
The spirit has been felt by the players and even the parents, some of whom were raised on the fields of this 54-year-old program as well.
“As a parent, I love the program. This is our fourth year. I’ve been a Red Knight all my life. I support the alumni and the coaches and everything going on,” said Michael Barnes, whose son Jeremiah Edmonds plays on JV this year. “We have leaders here, showing the kids what they need to do to grow. My son has learned the game and we’re hoping he can make it to the top.”