Welcome To Pop Warner College!

Tuesday, December 6, 2006- Afternoon

For the past two days, Disney's Wide World of Sports has been transformed into “Pop Warner College”. Hey, I'm serious! From the playing fields to the field house, from the parking lots to the pathways, from loading docks to food stations, from media trailers to team homework sessions, Disney's WWS has been humming with the energy of a modern institution learning.

Want proof? Just poke your head (“shhh...quietly!”) into one of the five team- rooms in the baseball stadium at the Disney's WWS complex devoted to mandatory “study hall”. That's right, each Pop Warner football team, cheer squad & dance team is required to “hit the books” and keep up with class time missed back home; yep, “just like college! “ But, it's all good. See, this magical Pop Warner week lends itself to a great mix of teamwork, discovery, communication, goal-setting, competition, achievement, hard work and lots of fun…right again, “just like college!”

Three Cheers For Our Volunteers!

It's taken a whole lot of effort on the part of every Pop Warner Little Scholar, coach, family member and friend to get here. And, it takes a whole lot of effort to make sure things run smoothly once they're here. So, a great big “shout-out”, and an “A+ for effort”, goes to Pop Warner's Southeast Region Volunteers who are putting forth countless hours, and tons of conscientious initiative, to make this dream week a reality for everyone connected with Super Bowl ‘06.

For the past 12 years, as official Pop Warner hosts for this amazing annual event, the Mid-Florida League volunteers have been leading the way in providing families from outside the area with the lay of the land, and much more, from the minute they arrive at Disney World. Looking around the complex this afternoon, on the sidelines of the Hess Playing Fields and all through The Milk House, I can see scores of Mid-Florida Volunteers, in their signature green shirts, keeping things rolling.

I caught up with Dennis Connor, Vice Region Director for the Southeast Region at the busy “Volunteer Tent” . This smooth running spot – located at the end of Field # 1, is “command-central” for daily Pop Warner Super Bowl '06 support activities at Disney's Wide World of Sports. “ Everyday, the folks in this tent set up all the fields for football, coordinate all the volunteers to get paperwork out to the announcers and the media covering games,” explained Dennis. “ They also coordinate all the ‘mandatory-play reports' (that's right…everybody on a competing Pop Warner football team must be in on a minimum number of plays, dependent on the size of your roster). The rest of the day, we're here to answer any questions anyone has, give directions, and put out fires”.

Hey, I can tell you, there's very little fire-snuffing needed with these Mid-Florida folks on the case! Working closely with Disney's Wide World of Sports trainers, facilities management, and security (just in case), this efficient army of Mid- Florida Volunteers knows how to get things done right! Just one more reason why Pop Warner Super Bowl Week at Disney's WWS continues to be the BEST !

Old Friends Return To D-I Midget Championship

A final “A + for effort” today goes to the Marshall Heights Bison and the Alaska Eagles, both winners in their Midget Division I semi-final games this afternoon.

For the Bison's Head Coach Andre “Jay” Ford, this Saturday will be Marshall Heights' fourth shot at a Midget D-I National Championship. Each of those previous times, Bison teams have come up a little short. But, talking with him in the aftermath of today's semi-final win over a powerful Palmetto Raiders team, Coach Ford exuded a quiet confidence.

“ The difference between this Bison squad and others in the past is that we can do a whole lot of things with this team, “ Jay told me. “ We can beat you with our spread offense, we can beat you with our power offense, and on defense we've only been scored on one time. That's why I feel pretty good going into the championship game on Saturday. “

Marshall Heights opponent in the big Pop Warner Midget D-I National Championship game will be the Alaska Eagles, another “old friend” to many of us at Pop Warner super Bowl Week.

A couple of days ago, I mentioned that the high-flying Eagles had lost to Marshall Heights in that incredible 3 overtime “2001” Midget D-1 title game. It was actually Coach Herb Estep's Northwood Rams who out-lasted the Bison in that classic tilt.

No matter though. The Eagles remember just how close they came to the trophy five years ago, regardless of the opponent. And, as a result of their hard work this entire season, including the first two rounds of this year's Super Bowl Week, the lads from Anchorage are super-hungry for the “Big Enchilada” of Pop Warner Football this year.

So, with ESPN, NFL Films crews, and a whole stadium full of fans, waiting in big time anticipation of their impending clash , an “A + for effort” goes to the coaches and players of BOTH the Marshall Heights Bison and the Alaska Eagles. Two days to ‘Championship Saturday', guys… so rest up and “get ready to rumble!"

More “Field Notes” in the a.m. And, here's a tip. Tomorrow I'll be bloggin' about a fast-emerging Pop Warner Super Bowl week tradition, all its own.

I know you're going to like finding out all about the great Pop Warner guys and gals who are overcoming obstacles, and having a blast, in the Pop Warner Challenger division! For all the excitement, check out my Thursday afternoon “Field Notes”!