09/25/06

Youth football an exciting thing

There's something about Saturday afternoons that makes youth football especially exciting.

The players lined up on the sidelines as the games are played, cheering their teammates on. The cheerleaders giving it their all, and proud parents rooting for their kids.

Whether it's Pop Warner or the DeSoto County Youth Athletic Association program, youth football gives kids a chance to learn tackle football before they reach high school.

Also, it gives the players a chance to compete against teams from other areas. Players from Englewood can play teams from Charlotte, Port Charlotte and North Port and vice visa. Those rivalries can continue into high school. Friendships between the players also develop. A lot of the high school football players who compete Friday nights have known players from the other teams for several years.

An added attraction for the the players and fans is the way the divisions are determined. If an organization finishes above .500 over two seasons, it's in Division I. If an organization finishes below .500, it goes to Division II. That gives those teams a better chance of winning games, and also motivates them to win to get to the Division I level.

Pop Warner's Peace River Conference has playoffs to determine which of its teams go on to the regional and possibly even the national playoffs. That's a big and exciting goal for a kid who isn't even in high school.

Middle school sports begin

Middle school team sports have begun in Charlotte County for the first time since before Hurricane Charley.

Youths from Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Murdock and L.A. Ainger are playing soccer and girls softball every Tuesday and Thursday, so kids in middle schools have a change to play competitive sports besides the recreational, Pop Warner, Little League and other youth sports programs.

So of the kids are involved in both middle school and recreational sports programs, so they're constantly staying busy.

Following the softball and soccer seasons, Charlotte County schools will have girls volleyball before Christmas. After the holidays, boys and girls basketball seasons will begin. The school sports year will end with wrestling and the Charlotte County track and field meet.

You can e-mail Gary Brown at brown@sun-herald.com