Pop Warner Teams Travel to Mexico for Friendly Exhibitions
August 9, 2004

Intense competition on the field, coupled with playful friendship off the field, were the elements that will long be remembered by participants of the 1st Global Football Youth Jamboree, held in Cancun, Mexico August 2-8. Teams at the Pop Warner Midget level, ages 11-14 with older/lighter 15-year olds, representing Panama, USA (2 from Florida), Monterrey and Cancun, Mexico traveled to this famous resort to play and enjoy.

Monday, August 2, 2004:

All teams arrived on Monday, then enjoyed the Welcome Party at the Beach Club of Central Cancun, where weigh-ins were conducted, assuring that all players were 154 pounds maximum (15 year olds were 134 max.). Using a metric scale, where 154 pounds equals 70 kilos, it was clear we were not in America . The boys, families, cheerleaders and friends played on the beach and surfed the wave pool before tasting the buffet of traditional Mexican food.

Tuesday, August 3, 2004:

Tuesday the football action got rolling, and the competition was as heated as the Cancun sun, with all games played at Cancun 86 Stadium, the same site of the 2003 Aztec Bowl, which featured the AFCA Div. III All-American Team vs the Mexican National Champions. The 5-team format was designed to make the tournament as fair as possible, so each team played every other team in a 24 minute game consisting of two, 12 minute quarters.

The tournament began with the two USA teams going head-to-head, USA Blue vs USA Red. The Red team consisted of players from Miami , Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda, and were led by Head Coach Rocky Felker. The Blue team was directed by Head Coach Rod Williams, with players coming from Cape Coral , La Belle and Naples, all part of the Peace River Conference. When the dust had cleared in this opening contest, USA Red had defeated USA Blue 14-6. It was mostly a defensive battle, marked by forced turnovers and a few key big plays. This outcome would prove to be huge as the week wore on, and many thought it would be.

Monterrey brought a large squad of players directed by Alfonso Cerna, Head Coach of Tech Monterrey Prep School, traditionally one of the top prep schools in Latin America. Coach Cerna had spent 3 weeks drilling his young charges to get ready for this tournament, wanting to show off the abilities of his charges. They looked very polished and strong in the first match against Panama , returning the opening kickoff to the opponents' 10 yard line, leading to an early score. The determined and outmanned Panamanian group fought bravely throughout, but ultimately gave up another score to go down 14-0.

When local favorite Cancun faced off against USA Blue, the local fans got into the spirit of the tourney, loudly cheering on their boys as they faced off against the more experienced USA team. There are some 700 young players in the Cancun league, and 40 of the best had been selected to represent their community in this Jamboree. Coach Roberto Lopez put together a potent passing attack as well as an aggressive defense, staying with the Blue team for the entire game, before giving up one score and losing 8-0.

In such a tournament, every score and every point can be critical, and USA Blue's efforts this night would later be repaid.

The Monterrey vs USA Red contest was highly anticipated from the day the schedule was set, as all realized this would be a classic match-up. The athleticism of the Red team was obvious, as they made key big plays at numerous times. The Monterrey team, however, was solid at every position, making big first downs when needed, and forcing key turnovers. As it turned out, one extra point was the difference, with Monterrey hanging on to defeat the USA Red squad 13-12.

The final game of the evening, Cancun vs Panama , was played to a scoreless first half as both teams moved the ball through the air effectively, but could not cross the goal. Finally, Cancun was able to get on the scoreboard to which the fans responded loudly.

However, when they lined up for the extra point the stadium lights went out except for a couple of end zone banks. After a lengthy delay and discussion, it became apparent that the game would have to be halted and completed on Saturday.

Wednesday, August 4, 2004:

On Wednesday all teams took a needed break and enjoyed a day on nearby Isla Mujeres, at the National Park of Garrafon, where they snorkeled, swam, played on the diving platforms, visited Mayan structures, rested in hammocks, and generally just played in the water park that surrounds this paradise. The private boat ride over and back allowed time for all members of the 5 teams to get to know one another better.

Thursday, August 5, 2004:

Thursday provided a chance for the teams to regroup and gameplan for the 2nd round of action, with some taking to the practice field while others worked in meetings and video sessions. In the afternoon all spent time relaxing on the beach which adjoined their hotel, totally enjoying the sun and waves of Cancun.

Friday, August 6, 2004:

Due to the lighting problems on Tuesday, the decision was made to start Friday's games earlier in the day so they would be done before dark. At 11:00 am the conclusion of the Cancun-Panama game was played, with neither team scoring, so it ended up Cancun 6- Panama-0.

At noon Panama had to return to the field to face a determined USA Red team, which came into the day with 1 win and 1 loss. Panama Coach Luis Mastrellari, a veteran of numerous games and tournaments, had his team prepared, but they were simply overmatched and went down 34-6 to the feisty USA squad.

Monterrey, with a 2-0 record and direct line to the championship, then overwhelmed host Cancun 34-0. It was apparent that the boys from North Mexico had one thing on their mind, winning it all! The team looked very strong and ready for all they faced, and despite some pretty execution by Cancun, were simply too strong for the locals. Since tournament rules mandated that the maximum score spread counted in the standings would be 21 points, it really did not matter what the point total was above that.

Panama then took on USA Blue in its final contest of the event, but with only 27 players on the team, were simply overmatched in this game. Blue looked sharp on offense and defense, forcing turnovers, dominating the line of scrimmage and moving the ball on the ground and through the air. In the end, Panama showed it could effectively pass the ball, but could not contain the volatile USA attack which produced 32 points and shoutout the boys from Panama . However, at the end of the game the crowd gave a rousing round of applause to the gritty Panama team.

The fans poured in the stadium in anticipation of the Cancun match against USA Red, coming off a solid performance earlier in the day. It was obvious that Cancun wanted this victory for its families and fans, playing tough defense and moving the ball consistently against the larger USA Red team. USA scored first, going on top 6-0 and appearing in control. However, Cancun answered with a long drive, but then fumbled at the goal line going in, and the rout was on. Red then smelled victory, taking the ball the length of the field quickly and going up by two TD's. They were able to put one more score on the board in the final minutes, forging a 20-0 victory and setting up the big game!

With the USA Red victory, the championship was to be determined as it should be-on the field when USA Blue and Monterrey faced off. This proved to be what all had hoped for, a classic battle of defense, field position, and solid line play. Blue took the opening kickoff and went the length of the field, simply grinding out first downs and taking control of the line of scrimmage. When they scored, but did not convert the extra point, the 6-0 lead looked good, but certainly did not guarantee victory. Monterrey countered with its own drive, which stalled at the 50 yard line. This became the way the rest of the game was played, mostly between the 30's, with defense controlling both teams' offenses. Despite some valiant plays by Monterrey , USA Blue kept them out of the end zone and held on for victory.

The final standing would reflect that USA Red, Monterrey and USA Blue all had 3-1 records. The point differences were USA Red +48, Monterrey +30 and USA Blue +27, thus giving the mythical championship to USA Red!

Cancun ended up with a 1-3 record, but proud of all they had accomplished in hosting the tournament.

Panama, despite not winning any contests, played bravely and with plenty of enthusiasm, vowing to return to the Youth Jamboree 2005 better prepared.

Saturday, August 7, 2004:

On Saturday evening all members of the 5 teams, families and supporters gathered at The City nightclub, one of the hottest sites in Cancun , for the Awards Party. Each player received his colorful, commemorative Jamboree medal, a Pop Warner medal and patch, with each team given a trophy reflecting the waves of Cancun. Also recognized were the USA Cheerleaders who kept the noise going throughout all games on the sideline.

The party provided a final chance for all to gather, exchange emails and phones, and share memories of a wonderful week of football and fun. As the exchange mixed with English and Spanish, it was obvious that the Youth Jamboree had succeeded in many ways, but most of all in helping to achieve the Global Football mission: “Uniting the Youth of the World Through American Football.”

Talks are already underway for the 2005 event, with various cities and countries vying to host what is sure to become a very popular tournament around the world!

For more information contact: Patrick Steenberge at patrick@globalfootball.com