AFL Partners With Pop Warner!

Thursday- December 7, 2006- Afternoon

Remember how I told you I'd have a special surprise for you today? Well, here it is, folks! A brand new alliance-for-progress has been formed between the hottest new pro football league and the largest national youth football and cheerleading organization in the United States . What's more, this new alliance promises pizzazz for all of us !

What's it all about? Well, it's like this, see? Pro football players always remember their roots, and the vast majority of them also recognize the importance of “giving back” to the game they love so much. So, it's with no surprise that the grins on the faces, and the looks of instantaneous recollection in the eyes, of four super Arena Football League stars were readily apparent as they helped to announce the AFL's brand new alliance with Pop Warner , as well kick-off the opening of a full afternoon of spirited “Pop Warner Challenger Division” games.

And, nobody could have been more pleased about the announcement of the partnership between Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc. and the Arena Football League (and its development league, af2 ) than AFL stars Tony Graziani of the “Philadelphia Soul” , Shane Stafford- of the “Orlando Predators”, John Dutton- of the “Colorado Crush” and Matt D'Orazio- of the “Chicago Rush”.

Tony G. and John D. both link their football skills, and so many life-lessons, directly to their own Pop Warner experiences. Tony told me, “ I have such good, fond memories of Pop Warner. I started when I was 10 years old in Jr. Midgets and worked my way up through Midgets. That was the pure form of the sport, just playing for the love of the game. When I was in 7th grade, we won the first championship I ever won in anything by playing Pop Warner football with the 'Modesto Rams. ' Just playin' with your friends, goin' out and havin' a good time. The things I learned then, and the lessons I absorbed, still play a big role in my life today.” Now , get this. Tony still stays in touch with his first coach. “That's right, my Pop Warner coach, Doug Brown. I still talk with on a monthly basis. The relationships that you form in Pop Warner last a lifetime.”

John told me, “ I started Pop Warner when I was seven years old back in California. Football is the ultimate ‘team' sport. And, learning how to work together through Pop Warner Football, at such an early age, was just incredible. The whole atmosphere was amazing. Now, today, seeing these kids? Man, I wish I could go back in time, just to play for the pure fun of it. There's no business side, there's no politics, it's just ‘playin' football' . “

John added,“And, since Pop Warner started this Challenger group, there's now not a kid who can't play football and experience the joy of the game. Through the Challenger's buddy system, kids just like these out here at Disney's Wide World of Sports this afternoon can get a sense of the competitive nature of the game, the thrill of scoring touchdowns, and getting their names announced over the PA system, and hearing the cheers of the crowd, and the support of cheerleaders. You just can't beat that. It's a real credit to Pop Warner, the coaches and all the volunteers who make this Challenger football happen.”

For those of you who've never experienced a “Challenger” game, here's how it works. John referred to the “buddy system”. Well, that's a key to Pop Warner Challenger Football. Each player teams up with another. Players who are “challenged” team with a “buddy” – a parent, a brother or sister, or more often than not, a high school student/athlete volunteer, to form the strength-of-one. Then, they all square off in two teams and play an all out game of flag football. Each team trades possessions from the 20 yard line, and it's, “Katy bar the door!” The action of a Pop Warner Challenger game is as steady, and the excitement and joy as evident, as in any other Pop Warner game. And, with classy uniform shirts and shorts, real referees, sideline markers , game announcers, cheer squads (again based on a “buddy system”) and plenty of fans-in-the-stands voicing their support, Pop Warner Challenger Football is awesome !

Along the sidelines of the Challenger game, Matt D'Orazio, of the AFL's “Chicago Rush” (and the MVP of Arena Bowl XX) told me how amazed he was to see the facilities here at Disney's WWS, home site for our annual Pop Warner Super Bowl Week.

“When I got to these facilities, I was just blown away. I can understand why Pop Warner has grown so much by playing at a facility like this. I played football as a kid in Ohio, in fields where they put down some cones, maybe drew a couple a lines, and that was about it. It certainly wasn't of this caliber!“

Matt, too, remembers the early days of football as kid. “The earliest things I learned were, first of all, all the friendships I built. The second thing was learning the value of hard work. If you worked hard, you got a chance to play and do well, and see some successes, that's a tremendous confidence builder. The value of hard work was really instilled in me by my coaches. “

Shane Stafford of the nearby Orlando Predators AFL team told me, “I played Pop Warner near Philadelphia and then went on to play at Wilson High School. I was eight years old when I started. I really wanted to get into it right away. Bein' a kid, I just wanted to have fun. And, you know, you try to keep some of that spirit even today in the AFL. I mean football is a game, it's a kids' game. And, with Pop Warner, learning how to deal with adversity, with wins and losses, is so important to ‘life.' The other thing is, Pop Warner was a way for kids to stay off the street. Get with these Pop Warner coaches who really care about kids, it really sticks with them the rest of their lives. “Shane offered another important insight into the value of the Pop Warner experience for kids. “You learn the value of ‘discipline.' You learn that you just can't do it your way. You learn the fact that, okay, if one out of eleven people does it wrong, then everybody fails. So, with Pop Warner you learn discipline, you learn how to work with others and co-exist as a team. And, those things carry over without a doubt.” Shane was especially moved by the Challenger games. “It's unbelievable. It really is. I get the chills, and I'm sure the other guys do too. They were playin' the National Anthem a minute ago and the kids are all so bright-eyed and smilin'. It's such a simple formula. You just wish everybody would treat everybody else just like this. It's really pretty special”

You got it, Shane! “Special” is the word for Pop Warner Challenger football, and for every other aspect of Pop Warner Football, Cheer & Dance. “Special” is also the word for our participating AFL stars at Disney's Wide World of Sports all this week, as well as the new Pop Warner/AFL alliance and the prospect of learning and doing through Pop Warner programs in-and-around Arena Football League cities across America.

“AFL & Pop Warner”…As Jon Butler said it, “We're looking forward to a long and fruitful relationship.”

# # #