For Jennifer Hart, it’s all about the name.
The members of the Tri-County Rebels are in a word – rebels,
said Hart, the teams’ president. Because why on earth would a group
of parents create a third youth football program in the region?
”
We are rebels,
”
she said.
For Jennifer Hart, it’s all about the name.
The members of the Tri-County Rebels are in a word – rebels, said Hart, the teams’ president. Because why on earth would a group of parents create a third youth football program in the region?
“We are rebels,” she said.
The answer, though, is pretty simple. The group of parents wanted to give their children a better opportunity to play football without traveling long distances and paying a lot of money.
So last fall, that group of parents made the decision to create another team – the Tri-County Rebels.
The program, which includes three levels of football and cheerleading, is something entirely different from the Hollister Vikings and San Benito Seahawks, Hart believes. The team focuses on giving back and being involved with the community and giving every child the opportunity to play. There are no cuts and registration is an affordable $200.
“We want everyone that wants to, to play,” she said.
In its first year, the Rebels are doing just that. The teams are nearly full at all three levels – the oldest level called midget, the youngest level called the jr. peewee and the middle level called peewee. Ages range from six to 14.
“It’s surprising,” she said. “I don’t think we expected this much support.”
The Rebels will play in the 12-team Monterey Bay Youth Football League with teams from Salinas, Seaside and Carmel. The Rebels will include players from Santa Clara, San Benito and Monterey counties.
Athletes come from Gilroy, Aromas and San Juan Bautista, Hart said.
“We have kids from all over the area,” she said.
The hope is that the league serves as a way to prepare the athletes for the rigors of high school football.
Hart wanted to create something that was not only popular but also allowed families with less money to give their children something to do, she said.
“First and foremost we wanted to make it affordable,” she said.
Hart, with the help of a three-person board that consists of Dianna Noble and midget coach Frank Reyes, created a program that would allow parents to sponsor children who couldn’t afford registration.
“It’s amazing – parents are sponsoring 20 of our kids,” Hart said. “It’s amazing.”
During the first week of practice, parents lined the field at Calaveras Elementary School to watch their children run through drills.
Chito Barcibal said his son, who is on the peewee team, and daughter, a cheerleader, can’t wait to come to practice each day.
“So far it’s been great,” he said. “My son and daughter have really been enjoying it.”
Only a week into practice, Jim Dumont was impressed by the response of his 11-year-old son who was playing football for the first time. Dumont chose the Rebels over other local teams because he knew his son would get the best opportunity to play.
“This is really great to be a part of something from the beginning,” he said.
And it’s that response that has Reyes excited for the future of the league.
“The support is off the wall,” he said. “It shows the city could have used another football team.”
Creating and coaching the team was something Reyes always wanted to do, he said. He wanted a program that would focus on the children and not about winning. Reyes believed it was more important to teach the young athletes the proper technique and to allow them all to play.
With a whistle around his neck, Reyes does his best to teach each child everything he can.
The Rebels spent the last week of July conditioning for their first season. The Rebels didn’t put on the pads until Aug. 1.
The first competition against another team will take place during an Aug. 13 jamboree – the first official league game is Aug. 21 against Steinbeck. The Rebels’ first season of 10 games ends Oct. 23.
Once the season begins, it will be the end of the long process of establishing the team for the three board members, who first started meeting in November. But through all the hours of dedication and volunteerism, it will all be worth it once the teams take the field.
And Hart hopes the community support continues throughout the year, she said.
“This is a testament to the will of the community,” she said. “It’s important that we have something like this available to the kids of this community.”
