43
Photo
Neighbors | Submitted.Pictured are all of the Poland Little Bulldog teams with football players from Poland Seminary High School during a Big Dog Little Dog practice. The high school players spent an evening working with the younger players on drills and speaking to them about their own experiences within the Little Bulldogs.
The Poland Little Bulldogs are geared up for the 2017 football season.
The Little Bulldogs are comprised of boys and girls in grades 1-6. There are three levels of competition for football and cheer - bantam, junior varsity and varsity.
This year, the Little Bulldogs have seen a 27 percent increase in football participation from last year. More than 120 children are participating in both football and cheerleading for 2017 season.
This year marks the third year in a row of participating in USA Football’s Heads Up Program, a comprehensive, age appropriate approach to teaching football fundamentals. The nationally endorsed program provides a framework that emphasizes coaching education, equipment fitting, tackling and blocking fundamentals and health and safety curriculum. All PLB football and cheer coaches have undergone background checks, player safety training and participated in live safety session. They replaced the entire inventory of helmets and purchased new Riddell helmets for the 2017 football season (helmets expire every 10 years). In addition to new helmets, they replaced a part of their shoulder pad inventory. New, fitted game jerseys were also purchased for this season. Blocking shields and innovative tackle tubes were also obtained, which help reinforce proper tackling technique. This significant investment in equipment is made possible by many years of fundraising and community support for youth sports.
For the 2017 season, the Little Bulldogs are excited to have joined the Mahoning Valley Junior Football League (MVJFL), which consists of teams from Poland, Austintown, Campbell, Columbiana, Crestview, Lakeview, Springfield, Struthers and Western Reserve.
The Little Bulldogs participated in some community events this year, as well. They partnered with Akron’s Children’s Hospital to conduct a CPR and Asthma safety session and co-facilitated a parents educational session on concussions. PLB sponsored a Big Dog, Little Dog practice, where Poland Seminary High School football players provided PLB players with instruction and inspiration.
Poland Little Bulldogs has prided itself on fostering youth sportsmanship since 1968. Through team building and confidence boosting, the players have developed friendships, memories and skill sets that will last throughout their lives. Since the safety of the players is PBL’s highest priority.
Poland Little Bulldogs is a proud 2017 USA Football Grant Recipient. The executive board consists of Ron Newhouse, Rocky Nittolli, Scott Todd, Loorie Varkonda, Beckee Mozilla and Jen Loftus.
More information on the Poland Little Bulldogs and its upcoming game schedule can be found by visiting its Facebook page or by going to polandlittlebulldogs.com.