A Foundation for the Future

 

The Shrewsbury Youth Football and Cheerleading program provides a sound foundation both for the individuals who go through the program but also for the local community. The lessons learned in their formative years serve our athletes as they progress through High School and College into the wider world.

 

It takes a lot of determination on the part of the players to stay in the program. It is not easy to practice every weekday night in August, getting exhausted, battered and bruised even before the season starts. The coaches push the players to ensure they are ready for the games. The players are extended mentally as well as physically, they have plenty of learning to do. Each position has its own demands, with many subtle nuances, and the players must remember the plays, predicting their opponents’ every action. Everything needs to be done properly as mental errors can have a big impact on the outcome of a game. Do you think all these demands put off the players? You must be kidding! They enjoy it. That is why on average only a handful of players leave the program after pre-season practice starts and why 80% of all eligible players return from season to season.

 

Many parents delight in telling us about the marked improvement in their childrens schoolwork when they are playing in the Shrewsbury Youth Football and Cheerleading program. The coaches continually emphasize to them that they can only remain in the program if their schoolwork is up to standard. It is no longer a chore to do their homework, they see it as part and parcel of their football. Pop Warner is the only major youth sport organization to require all participants to maintain an acceptable level of scholastic achievement in school during the season. The players acquire the mental and physical discipline that will stand them in good stead throughout their life.

 

Where do these players go after they leave our program? They go on to play for the Shrewsbury High Schools (SHS and St. John’s), Assabet Valley, Holy Name, St. Peter Marian, and Worcester Academy. Some progress on to College football at the likes of WPI, Northeastern, Worcester State,Curry, UMASS Dartmouth, Springfield College, Western New England, Norwich, Bates, Assumption College and Holy Cross. The Shrewsbury High School Superbowl winning team of 2000 was stacked with players who had been through our program, and there were several in the St. John’s Superbowl winning teams of 2001, 2004 and 2005.  We are proud to have contributed in some way to the achievements of such fine young citizens as Billy Orfalea, Joey Fontecchio, Brian Robitaille, Mario Johnson, Billy DeMalia, Lee Diamotopolous, Mike Salerno, Sam Perotto, Dan Cronin and many others. Several former High School players, including Chris Abbascia, Sal Sassone, Andrew Catino, Brett Cournoyer, A. J. Gonet and Dennis Molinari, played on our inaugural Mitey Mites team in 1995.

 

We are also happy to see that some of our former Pop Warner players have now come back as coaches at Shrewsbury High School and WPI, and are helping transfer the knowledge and philosophies to the next group of scholar-athletes.