Pop Warner coach starts working long before the kids hit the
field
Summer is nearing to a close and to many kids in the community
that means it’s time for another exciting season of Hollister
Vikings Pop Warner Football.
Kids in purple helmets did sit-ups, ran drills around the field
and worked on conditioning drills at R.O. Hardin Elementary School
the week of July 30.
Pop Warner coach starts working long before the kids hit the field
Summer is nearing to a close and to many kids in the community that means it’s time for another exciting season of Hollister Vikings Pop Warner Football.
Kids in purple helmets did sit-ups, ran drills around the field and worked on conditioning drills at R.O. Hardin Elementary School the week of July 30.
For Pop Warner head coach Eddie Tobia the drills and practices have been part of his most of his life.
Tobia grew up in Morgan Hill playing high school football for the Live Oak Acorns. He uses what he learned at the high school level to help him coach his Pop Warner team now.
As an adult, his love for the game inspired Tobia to get involved with football in some way. When he first started coaching, his children were too young to take the field but he signed on to coach anyway.
“I like the sport,” Tobia said. “And it is fun to teach the kids and watch them get into it.”
Almost a decade ago, Tobia began coaching Pop Warner in Morgan Hill for the Raiders at the Mighty-Mites division. He also spent a year coaching the Oak Grove Renegades in San Jose. Last year was his first season in Hollister with the Vikings, a season in which they went to Florida to compete in the National Championships – where they took third place.
With the 2007-2008 season just around the corner, Tobia’s life is about to get a lot busier. This season he is coaching – along with his assistants Greg Blake, Eric Nye, Radar Canes, Sergio Garcia and Mike Hicks – the Hollister Vikings in the Junior Midgets division, which is for kids ages 10 to 13.
The life of a Pop Warner head coach is never over, and once the season starts football is all there is.
“This is almost a year-long thing,” Tobia said. “The season usually ends in late October or November and then board meetings get started again in January.”
An election is held in late January or early February by the board members to vote on the head coaches for the next season. Once a head coach gets voted in, it is time to build their coaching staff.
The month of April consists of sign-ups for kids who are interested in playing and plenty of coaches’ meetings – where the coaches get together to come up with plays, set practice times, and many other coaching duties.
April through June, Tobia mostly attends board meetings and coaches’ meetings, which are held once a month. There are also coaches’ clinics they can attend to improve their coaching skills. Tobia attended the Nor Cal All Sports Clinic in Burlingame just a few weeks ago. The clinic covered many bases and touched on all aspects of the game of football – offense, defense, and special teams.
There are many clinics out there and coaches just have to find the right one. Some are meant just for Pop Warner coaches – while others are more general and for any football coach that wants to attend.
For Tobia, the month of July is when it is time to kick it into gear. Practices start at the end of the month and the coaches start holding meetings once or twice a week to make sure they are fully prepared for the season.
“You have to make sure you are fully committed because this is a big time commitment,” Tobia said.
From the coaching aspect of the game, Tobia enjoys every bit of it. He uses his knowledge to help the kids.
“I try to instill everything I learned playing high school football into these kids to get them ready to play at the high school level,” Tobia said.
Being a Pop Warner Football coach is a big job and many people do not want to make the commitment. But Tobia is willing to spend his time to teach the kids how to play football, and to him there are not many greater joys.
Although sometimes he wishes he could just be a parent and sit in the stands and just cheer on his sons – Tyler, Austin, and Aaron, who all play football – he enjoys coaching much more. His oldest son, Tyler, is on his team this year.
“I can’t really keep a close eye on my son playing because I have to focus on the team,” Tobia said. “But coaching and watching the team come together and play well is a great thing to be a part of.”
The kids provide the motivation for many head coaches such as Tobia to keep doing it every year and Tobia urges other parents to participate as well.
“Just get involved and spend the time,” Tobia said. “The best part is being out there with the kids giving them structure and discipline and keeping them off the streets.”
