Photo: Getty Images Sport/Scott Halleran
Interviews by Michael Clarke, Michael Cramton
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Combining sports and education in a way that motivates young people to succeed, for nearly 80 years Pop Warner has been developing healthy and responsible young men and women. In conjunction with the 2007 Pop Warner Super Bowl, we asked five people connected with Pop Warner what it is that makes youth sports such a life-defining experience.
Q: What is it about youth sports and Pop Warner in particular that helps build healthy young people?
Jim Hoey, Offensive Coordinator, Torrey Pines Jr. Pee Wee Golden Falcons
What really drew me to this was these kids learn discipline at an early age. They learn teamwork. They learn integrity. They learn the values and the characteristics to make them grow up to be productive citizens. And it’s a very physical, very aggressive game. These kids get an opportunity to go out there and put their hearts on the line. In victory and in defeat there is a lesson, and they learn it. It's a great program. It's a great opportunity. This is a great sport for kids to play.
Mike Hass, wide receiver for the Chicago Bears
There are lots of life lessons (in youth sports programs). Attention to detail, being focused, learning to be responsible. Being in the right place and doing the right things. If you don't do those things you won't be a successful football player, and if you don't do those things in life you won't be a successful person. A lot of that I learned playing high school football.
Melissa Van Datta, Head Coach, Torrey Pines Junior Midget Golden Falcons
I think the importance of teamwork and dedication and commitment really comes into play when doing the types of stunts that we are doing. Cheerleading is not a one person game. Every single person has a very important role and I think the girls are learning that they really need to trust each other and be responsible for themselves. And without that commitment they wouldn't be as successful as they are today. I don't think there's anyone on our team that believes they're a star. They all know that they have to work together to be successful as a team.
Some of these girls I've been working with for four years. So they started out as little girls. I remember one girl that cried through practices. I could barely get her to come to every practice four years ago. Today, she's extremely confident in her abilities. We brought on four new girls that we brought onto the team this season and just from the beginning--it's very intimidating to come onto a squad like we have who's been successful in the past. For these girls to have to go from not having any skills at all, to catching up to the level of the rest of the team, I've seen a lot of growth. In the case of Gracie King, when she first started this season she was really loose and I was not sure she would be able to fly; to do the position I wanted her to do. Today, she is probably one of my best fliers. She's just very dedicated.
Kyle Boller, quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens
(Youth sports) taught me tons and tons and tons. Just about perseverance and how to deal with adversity. How to be a team leader and deal with people. It's something that has helped me out big time. Where I grew up in Valencia, California, football is real big there and there's there a real rich tradition of winning in the area. It's the thing to do on Friday nights. Everybody from the town is there. It's a good time to get together and compete.
Hyman Gibson, Assistant Regional Director for Pop Warner Wescon Conference
Few children possess the talent to play competitive sports at the highest level. An overwhelming majority will not grow up to be professional athletes. Therefore, the primary goal of Pop Warner is to foster the development of general physical competence and promote physical activity, fun, life skills, and sportsmanship and good health. Pop Warner's goal is to help foster life skills that engage kids in the development of their abilities to do life planning, be self-reliant and seek the resources of others when needed. To facilitate a positive sports atmosphere, the programs focuses on being effort-focused rather than emphasize winning at all costs. In other words, our programs are meant to foster positive youth development, not foster victories.
When you’re 10, 11 or 12 years old and your team’s unbeaten, hopefully bound for a tournament in Florida, you’re not looking any further down the road because this is as good as it gets. Remember, there’s so much more to it than winning. That’s why we never talk about ‘must-win’ situations, because learning to deal with disappointment is as important as knowing how to win.
