August 28, 2007 > Football season arrives Football season arrives By Biff Jones As professional monsters of the gridiron appear in huge stadiums and on television screens, there is another version of football appearing this fall on local fields. These athletes are a bit smaller and do not command million dollar contracts, but they are just as intense and full of emotion on the field. This is Pop Warner Football and local teams have plenty of action in store for spectators. This week begins a new season of learning teamwork and enjoying the thrills of competition for these young athletes. The Tri-Cities Titans Association, drawing players from around the bay, is now in session. After playing just two seasons (minimum required) of Division III Pop Warner Football, the Tri-Cities Titians Association of the Peninsula Pop Warner Conference has moved up to Division II. This makes them eligible, if they qualify, to participate in the four oldest age and weight group playoffs en route to a possible appearance at each group's Super Bowl played in January at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Teams play eight regular season games, four home and four away, then would have to play another six play-off games to win the Super Bowl. Peninsula Conference is part of the Northwest Region of which there are eight across the United States. Tri-Cities Association has seven teams in six divisions. Two Tiny Mite teams (5-7 year olds) and one each for Mitey Mites (7-9), Jr. Pee-Wee (9-11), Pee-Wee (11-12), Jr. Midgets (12-14) and Midgets (13-15). Tiny Mites have twenty-two players and the other teams have twenty-five to thirty-five players on their rosters. Players from Fremont, Newark and Union City are given top priority for filling a roster, but players living in the surrounding areas such as Hayward, Milpitas and Sunol can also play for Tri-Cities, space available. The Association now has participants from as far away as San Francisco and East Palo Alto playing or cheering for them. Players are put in divisions based on age and weight while cheerleader divisions are based on age only. A player or cheerleader's age on July 31st is the age at which they participate for the coming year. Each football player is required to weigh-in wearing shorts only, before each game. Players are allowed to gain one pound per week after the first official weigh-in. Those not making weight, cannot play in that week's game. No player or cheerleader is cut from the team unless it is for disciplinary or safety reasons. The first game of the season is this coming week-end, September 1st. All games are played on Saturday with home games at Newark Jr. High School, 6201 Lafayette Ave., Newark. Tri-Cities is a traveling program and play away games anywhere from Monterey to the Oakland area. Tri-Cities strongly supports academics and requires each football player or cheerleader to maintain a 2.0 or better grade point average, from kindergarten to high school. If they do not have a 2.0 or better, then they can still play if a required weekly academic report shows progress. Pop Warner offers a Little Scholars Program for all boys and girls which allows the participates to receive additional awards and recognition for their grades. The organization is a 100 percent volunteer program that allows the community to come together to support and teach both participants and parents about pride, respect, teamwork, sportsmanship and most of all, how to have fun! For any further information go to website, www.tri-citiespopwarner.org or phone Registration Coordinator, Juanita Lopez at 510-791-3215. Thanks to Association President T.C. Noble and his Secretary, Cindy Teliz, for their input on this article.