Pop Warner Youth Football League Honors Scholastic Winners
Pop Warner not only develops athletic ability, but puts emphasis on scholastics as well.
Last month, five of the six Pop Warner athletes attended a banquet, and were recognized as Regional Scholastic Winners from the Big Bend area. These athletic scholars scored 96% or above on their cumulative grade point average, plus they were involved in other non-sports related activities.
The dinner and awards banquet was held at the Rosen Center in Orlando. In attendance were (pictured L to R): David Haston, McLain Goodwin, and Kevin Hilton, all 6th graders from the Miccosukee Association; Jonathan Mason, 7th grader from the Chaires Association; and Kyle Wilson, 5th grader from the Canopy Oaks Association. Trace Hunter, also a 5th grader from the Canopy Oaks Association, was recognized, but did not attend the dinner.
The Pop Warner Youth Football League is nationally known for training young athletes, ages five through fifteen, to gain athletic skills in football or cheerleading. Many college and pro football players and cheerleaders got their start with Pop Warner.
Pop Warner is the only youth sports league that monitors the academic performance of all players during the season. Last season there were close to nine hundred athletes in the big bend area; all of them had to maintain satisfactory academic progress throughout the season, and during the previous year.
Each year, the most academically accomplished Pop Warner athletes compete for Academic All-American status. This process begins at the association level and continues to the regional level, and then the national level. Apart from their high grades, consideration for the top scholars is their level of involvement with other clubs and organizations, as well as voluntary community service. The top 35 from each grade level in the southeast region, beginning with fifth grade, are recognized as All Around Regional Scholars.
All American Pop Warner Scholars are recognized nationally. National recognition letters are sent out to the athlete/scholars who have made the All American Scholastic Team. This year we had 32 scholars from the big bend region. These young athletes scored in the top 2% from 440,000 other Pop Warner Athletes from across the nation.
The athlete /scholars who will be recognized as All American National Scholars are:
Canopy Oaks Association
5th grade
Trace Hunter
Stephen Thomas-Robinson
Kyle Wilson
Casey Woods
6th grade
Connor Jahn
Wyatt Schroeder
Saun Turner
7th grade
Dakota Cantrell
Erik Petrick
Chaires Association
5th grade
Clint Milner
Casey Owens
Hunter Sheffield
6th grade
Lonnie Anderson
Justin Cote
Brian Crews
Clay Gunter
7th grade
Dakota Atkinson
Rocky Bonasorte
Stephen - CJ Danser, Jr.
Jonathon Mason
Miccosukee Association
6th Grade
Stephen Gabbard
Mclain Goodwin
David Haston
Kevin Hilton
Trey Melvin
Woodville Association
5th Grade
Ethan Davis
6th Grade
Donald Denson
All American National Scolars receiving Honorable Mention are Samuel Grant Gandy, 5th grade, Austin Bess, and David McMullen, 6th grade from Woodville Association; Hyatt Harrison, 6th grade from Miccosukee; and Tyrone Williams ll, 5th grade from Chaires Association.
The banquet to honor the national scholars will be held in Orlando this weekend. It will be attended by Pop Warner scholars from across the country.
For more information contact Charles McDonald 251 - 1177
or visit
http://www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?url=bigbendpopwarner
This article originally published on May 23, 2008.