Winchester Pop Warner is Back in Action

The Calendar still says summer, but there are signs of autumn all around. Nothing says fall more than football, and that’s the scene over at where is gearing up for its second season of play.

Pop Warner returned to Winchester in 2010 after a more than three decade absence. The town embraced the return of the pigskin last year and that support has certainly grown in 2011.

More than 100 kids took the field last Monday for the first practice of the season.

“We’ve had an amazing turnout this year, and we’re really excited about it,” said Winchester Pop Warner President Mike Bongiorno. 

Last year, despite a lack of experience, Winchester team’s mounted a successful campaign and even saw some playoff action.This, season, more than 90 percent of the players from last year have returned, with a season of experience under their belts.

“A lot of the nervousness and newness is gone,” said Bongiorno. “The kids were just excited to put their helmets back on.”

Last season, even that was a challenge. Mastering the art of moving in the heavy pads and helmets was one of the challenges of 2010. Now that that kids have gotten a better feel for the equipment, however, they are over that hurdle. There is still, however, much to be learned. 

Football is a complex game of skill and technique. There is a lot of information for new players to absorb. There is a noticeable improvement for Bongiorno in 2011, now that many of these players have had the opportunity to play a full season of football. 

“They have a great foundation – as do we as parents and coaches. The learning curve is pretty steep, but we’re past the difficult part. The productivity of the early practices is just exponentially better,” he said.

Practice is a key component of Pop Warner. There are only eight regular season games during the course of the season, but the nightly practices kick off a full month before the action gets under way. This is not only where the lessons and fundamentals are learned, but also where the bonds of teamwork are built.

“[Pop Warner] is a real special experience for these kids. They practice a lot with a big group and they get to know a lot of kids really quickly,” said Bongiorno.

All the practicing and hard work leads to great rewards for the young athletes.

“It makes putting on the uniform and playing the games a really big deal. The kids get to play their home games at and that’s a really special place. It lets them be part of the town’s football tradition.”

Getting the kids ready to go out onto the field, even with the benefit of some experience, is still no small feat. It takes a small army of coaches to make any football program successful. 

In Winchester Pop Warner, there are five to six coaches per team and a lot of parent volunteers helping out as well.

“Football is very complicated and cerebral. There’s a lot that goes into it strategically and it takes a lot to get the kids ready. That’s what makes is so rewarding to watch them go out on the field and play the games, said Bongiorno.

The Pop Warner season kicks off on Sunday, Sep. 11 on the road against Wilmington. The first home game of the season will be on Sunday, Sep. 25 against Saugus at Manchester Field.

The stands will no doubt be filled with proud parents and friends, eager to revel in anther season of Pop Warner football in Winchester. 

There will also be plenty of cheering emanating from the sidelines. 

In addition to the football program, Pop Warner has a cheerleading contingent as well. Maria O'Connor started the squad from scratch and has seen her program grow and thrive. A little more than 20 girls participated in 2010, and that number has doubled for 2011.

Football, cheerleading…fall is certainly in the air.