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Sports

YOUTH SPORTS: Mountain View Pop Warner Team Starts Practice Today

Marauders football and cheer programs hit the field for the first time in 2011 this evening in Mountain View. The regular season begins on Sunday, August 28.

It’s more than just football for Mountain View Mauraders Pop Warner Football Athletic Director and Midget division head coach Jerome Holloway.

It’s a labor of love.

The Mountain View Marauders is the local association of Pop Warner Little Scholars Football and Cheerleading organization. The Marauders have served the youth of Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Palo Alto and the surrounding communities since 1966 and will kick-off the 2011 season this week.

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The first practice of the year starts today near in Mountain View. With five age groups to offer participants in the program, the Mountain View youth football program gives players a chance to grow within the community, learning life lessons on and off the football field.

Home games will take place at at 1175 Castro St. in Mountain View this fall. Games usually take place on Sunday with the first game of the season scheduled for August 28.

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“I really enjoy working with the kids,” Holloway said. “I don’t just coach football, I try to be a role model for them as well. If someone has a problem, I’ll stop practice and try to help in any way I can. It’s a family environment and I want to keep them out of trouble.”

The football program is split up into six age groups, the midget division (age 11-15) being the oldest. Players fall into different divisions based on age and weight. The Junior Midget (age 11-14), Pee Wee division (age 11-13), Junior Pee Wee (age 9-11), Mighty Mites (age 7-9) and Tiny Mites (age 5-7) round out the groups.

Last season, the Junior Midget Marauders squad finished the year with a spotless 13-0 record, capped off with a win in the first annual Best of the West Bowl in San Jose.

“We beat a team from San Diego,” Holloway said. “It was a lot of fun for the kids and everybody involved with the program to end the season like that. It was great win.”

The Marauders Cheer program offers five programs, a very similar setup to the football side minus the Tiny Mites division.

Collette Hypolite is the Athletic Director for the Cheer Program and is assisted by Magie Cordero (Junior Pee Wee), Victoria Reynaga (Pee Wee) and Maria Quarels (Midget).

The team schedule will not be finalized until the end of the month. The certification process for each team will take place on Saturday, August 27. Once each group gets clearance, the full schedule will be released and the season will begin the following day.

Over the next few weeks, the football teams and cheer programs will practice several times a week to get ready for the new year. Holloway also plans to have a handful of guest speakers visit practice and speak to the group.

“This is the first year I’m doing it,” Holloway said. “I wanted to bring it certain mentors in my life to talk to the kids. It’s another way to teach to the kids and get them prepared for junior high, high school and life.”

Holloway’s pastor and a former Green Bay Packers scout are two of the scheduled speaker set to join the Marauders on the practice field this month.

For more information about the team go to mvmarauders.com.

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