Savor the moment
The Opinion of Richard Ybarra
Recently the Hollister Junior Midget Vikings Pop Warner team
accomplished something every city and young kid should experience.
A dream season and a national chammmpppioonshiiipp! Their
10-11-year-old boys’ football team won the national Super Bowl
championship by beating the Fairfield, Conn., Giants at Florida’s
Disney Wide World of Sports Complex.
Savor the moment
The Opinion of Richard Ybarra
Recently the Hollister Junior Midget Vikings Pop Warner team accomplished something every city and young kid should experience. A dream season and a national chammmpppioonshiiipp! Their 10-11-year-old boys’ football team won the national Super Bowl championship by beating the Fairfield, Conn., Giants at Florida’s Disney Wide World of Sports Complex.
The big deal was seen when several hundred locals and team family members turned out for a Veterans Memorial Hall celebration honoring the national champs a week ago last Tuesday night with temperatures falling towards the freeze line. The vibe was nothing but warm and contagious. Coaches and family members who had taken every step of the trek with the boys stood out in their proudly worn team sweat shirts as they strutted and strolled on the Vets Hall plaza. The team members themselves were – what else? – playing with a Nerf football.
The fascinating thing to watch and experience as city and county officials complimented the team and honored each individual player, all still wearing their championship game jerseys, was the beaming pride from the Hollister ball players. Each boy stepped up to get their award and well earned recognition as ecstatic parents cheered and smiled in ways seldom seen in any town. The coaches who prepared the boys and guided them thru season long practices, regular season games, area and regional playoffs leading to the national stage stood tall and also enjoyed their own well deserved applause for their volunteer work and thrills of a lifetime. Coach Gino Andrade spoke like the talented and seasoned team leader who came up thru the same system he now leads. He successfully applied the mental preparation that five years ago he said was key to winning and when he hoisted the championship trophy the crowd and the team roared one more time as one.
This pride should be echoed by all San Benito County residents. The season will be immortalized over time. The long term prospects for the families and boys involved should capture this “time to remember”, package it and carry it throughout their lives.
This rare experience is an opportunity to be and continue be champions for life!
Richard Ybarra is a public affairs consultant who has worked in San Benito County and all of California for over 30 years. He has enjoyed a lifetime of playing and coaching youth sports.
