Coaches teach youth safety in Pop Warner football

By TOM STANKARD

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Hurley - Area football fans came together to watch the Range Bulldogs play against the

Ashland Oredockers at Veterans Memorial Field in Hurley.

Standing alongside his players, head coach Eric Thier said football was a passion for him growing up and has enjoyed "the heck out of" coaching for the past five years.

The Range Bulldogs are part of the Pop Warner football League and the team consists of fourth, fifth and sixth graders from both Michigan and Wisconsin.

"We've got an interesting situation where kids from Hurley, Bessemer and Ironwood are all on the same team and they get to play with each other and become friends," Thier said.

According to its website, Pop Warner football has been around since the inception of the league in 1929 by founder Joseph J. Tomlin.

Since then, participation has steadily increased to current numbers. Over 250,000 youths participated in Pop Warner-sanctioned football programs in 2010, and those numbers are continuing to grow.

If played the right way, Thier said football is a good learning experience for kids that "builds team work and confidence."

Because the players are new to the game, fellow coach Paul Bruneau said they try to instill the fundamentals of football while teaching them sportsmanship.

"We make sure they do things correctly, especially tackling, with all the head injuries in the game," he said. "It's very important to teach them the basics at an early age."

At their age, the most important rule is to have fun playing the game, Thier said as the Range Bulldogs returned a kickoff for a touchdown.

"It's a fun time. You get to hang out with your buddies and push each other around like you do on the playground," he said.