Pop Warner is available to youth in 42 states, and there are 425,000 youth participating in both football and cheer-leading Being able to be one of those that were able to participate in Pop Warner Football for 5 football seasons, I was able to get an insider’s look into how the morals instilled in African American Youth through sports are both similar and different to how those have participated in the same sport, under the same non- profit organization.
The Bellwood Spartans was the Pop Warner football organization. The coaches were primarily older gentlemen that may have played football and lived in the area or a past high school or college coach. So the staff and the entire team was African American but at the time the entire team on all levels was winning! The huge issue with this was the fact that the Spartans where winning games against teams that were suburban upper-class teams. Through this the coaches had to do the work of taking a team of 30 African American young men to face against not only the other team but the parents and other spectators. The way to keep youth off the street is to get them evolved and engaged, but there must be a worthy leader because it takes a village to build a community.
First thing that was learned that if you don’t build yourself up to fulfill a position on not only the field but also in life there is no way for one to succeed. Learned that it’s a dog eat dog world if you can’t fill that position the coach will replace you with someone else and you would get your plays and sit down for the rest of the game. At the time Pop Warner had a rule instituted that everyone must get at least 8 plays and there was a spokes person for the other team monitoring the amount of plays each child was getting.
Is that fair, I’m not sure if that is the most fair way to run a program but I know that those athletes that were going to get suited up to get there 8 plays, and then sit on the side line for the rest of the game. Already knew that they were going to be on the side line before they even got to the field. The thing is the coaches would play those that had the best athletic ability, as a team we were taught that winning is a must. In order to win, why wouldn't the best on the team be on the field? This was an understanding to the young men that received their 8 plays. Once before I was in that place where I was going through a growing stage and wasn't as fast as others on the field and I would receive my 8 plays and I would sit.
My parents would always come and watch and take me to games, but the year that I got only 8 plays it was pointless for them to come and I almost felt it was pointless for me to be on the team. One thing my parents were strict about was QUITTING something, that just wasn't something that they would allow. Once again there is a way of learning not every time are you going to be the best but if you build strength in what it is you are weak in, the possibility of achieving a goal is a lot more reachable. Building strength can be as simple as practicing ones patients to be able to do what has to be done to accomplish the ultimate goal.
Found a video from 2009 it’s of the Bellwood Spartans another thing is that we were taught that you work with what you have. The jersey’s that these kids have on, are either the same of the same model as what we wore back in 04’ I wouldn't put it past the Spartans if they are the ones from 04’ because there was no funding from Pop Warner to get us nice uniforms and fields. Check out the video there are still some tough kids playing and the field is still not the best.
"2009 Spartans Go Hard" Bellwood Spartans Video
2009 Spartans Go Hard
Pop Warner Football Organization Website
http://www.popwarner.com/football/mandatoryplay.htmCollapse this post
The Bellwood Spartans was the Pop Warner football organization. The coaches were primarily older gentlemen that may have played football and lived in the area or a past high school or college coach. So the staff and the entire team was African American but at the time the entire team on all levels was winning! The huge issue with this was the fact that the Spartans where winning games against teams that were suburban upper-class teams. Through this the coaches had to do the work of taking a team of 30 African American young men to face against not only the other team but the parents and other spectators. The way to keep youth off the street is to get them evolved and engaged, but there must be a worthy leader because it takes a village to build a community.
First thing that was learned that if you don’t build yourself up to fulfill a position on not only the field but also in life there is no way for one to succeed. Learned that it’s a dog eat dog world if you can’t fill that position the coach will replace you with someone else and you would get your plays and sit down for the rest of the game. At the time Pop Warner had a rule instituted that everyone must get at least 8 plays and there was a spokes person for the other team monitoring the amount of plays each child was getting.
Is that fair, I’m not sure if that is the most fair way to run a program but I know that those athletes that were going to get suited up to get there 8 plays, and then sit on the side line for the rest of the game. Already knew that they were going to be on the side line before they even got to the field. The thing is the coaches would play those that had the best athletic ability, as a team we were taught that winning is a must. In order to win, why wouldn't the best on the team be on the field? This was an understanding to the young men that received their 8 plays. Once before I was in that place where I was going through a growing stage and wasn't as fast as others on the field and I would receive my 8 plays and I would sit.
My parents would always come and watch and take me to games, but the year that I got only 8 plays it was pointless for them to come and I almost felt it was pointless for me to be on the team. One thing my parents were strict about was QUITTING something, that just wasn't something that they would allow. Once again there is a way of learning not every time are you going to be the best but if you build strength in what it is you are weak in, the possibility of achieving a goal is a lot more reachable. Building strength can be as simple as practicing ones patients to be able to do what has to be done to accomplish the ultimate goal.
Found a video from 2009 it’s of the Bellwood Spartans another thing is that we were taught that you work with what you have. The jersey’s that these kids have on, are either the same of the same model as what we wore back in 04’ I wouldn't put it past the Spartans if they are the ones from 04’ because there was no funding from Pop Warner to get us nice uniforms and fields. Check out the video there are still some tough kids playing and the field is still not the best.
"2009 Spartans Go Hard" Bellwood Spartans Video
2009 Spartans Go Hard
Pop Warner Football Organization Website
http://www.popwarner.com/football/mandatoryplay.htmCollapse this post
Mandatory Play Rule »
Join Pop Warner: Sign Up / Find my Local Program · Start a Pop Warner Program · Become a Volunteer · Read About Health & Safety Initiatives · Learn What's New in Pop Warner. Super Bowl Info: L...
No comments:
Post a Comment