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South Shore Sports League Seeks Helpers

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By JOHN CEBALLOS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 5, 2007

RUSKIN - A budding athletic organization is hoping South Shore is ready for some football.

"We're looking for anyone interested in a lending a hand," said Dean Walters, president of the South Shore Jr. Longhorns. "We've only got about 10 or 12 now, but I think eventually we're going to need closer to 100."

The South Shore Jr. Longhorns is a nonprofit, all-volunteer Pop Warner youth football and cheerleading organization that will serve Apollo Beach, Ruskin, Wimauma and surrounding communities. With nearly 400,000 participants, Pop Warner is the biggest youth football, cheer and dance program in the United States.

Walters and his fellow officers got the idea for a youth football organization about a year ago.

"The only other youth football organization in the area is the East Bay Buccaneers," Walters said. "They really do a fantastic job, and I'm looking forward to working with them, as opposed to competing with them.

"They have a waiting list full of kids that could play for our league."

Organizers plan to have the league - which includes flag football for children ages 5 to 15 and tackle football for kids 7 to 15 - make its debut in July.

"One of my sons is 9 and he already plays football," said Karen Pena, who is also a volunteer for organization. "He's pretty excited about the start of the new league."

Registration is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Jan. 26 and Feb. 2 at Ruskin's SouthShore Regional Library, 15816 Beth Shields Way.

In addition to volunteers, the most pressing need for the league is establishing a practice facility for its players.

"When we started, we set certain goals that we wanted to have accomplished by December," Walters said. "We wanted to have a Web site up, we wanted to secure a field for our games, and we wanted to have practice facility.

"Two out of three isn't bad at all."

The Lennard High School football field will host the youth football games, and Gerard Kinler, a member of the school's physical education and health department, will serve as the league's athletic director.

Still, even though it has gotten off to a good start, the organization is still looking to add members.

"Whether they want to coach, or serve as our webmaster or whatever, any help from anybody interested in helping out would be greatly appreciated," Walters said.

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?

For more information about the South Shore Jr. Longhorns, a Pop Warner youth football and cheerleading organization, call (813) 641-2561, visit www.ssjlonghorns.com or e-mail Dean Walters at deanlwalters@gmail.com.

Reporter John Ceballos can be reached at (813) 865-1555 or jceballos@tampatrib.com.

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