Opportunity Pops

We know Terry is always cultivating youth tournaments and special events when he goes to conferences. Well, this one came to him out of nowhere.

(OK, not really out of nowhere. Like many serendipitous meetings, they are prompted by long standing relationships. In this case, a fellow traveler on the sports circuit that Terry has known for years.)

About 100 Pop Warner organizers and officials were meeting in Baltimore this week and their Executive Director, Jon Butler, gave Terry a buzz.

Pop Warner is a national network of youth teams where academics and safety are as much a part of team building as sports skills. This year, they teamed up with First Lady Michelle Obama and the “Let’s Move” initiative to encourage activity and physical fitness among children.



Consisting of approximately 400,000 young people ranging from ages 5 to 16 years old, Pop Warner is the largest youth football, cheer and dance program in the world. Every fall, their teams vie for national titles through league play and regional competition. The championships for football and cheer and dance are held in the ESPN complex at Disney World.

Maryland has a vigorous Pop Warner presence, and Terry is touting us as the perfect venue for hosting sectional or regional tournaments in any – or all – of the disciplines.

So this is something to look forward to in the coming months. Terry made a date with the Pops to come back in the spring and view facilities where games and competitions could be staged. As we’ve always said about youth sports, they are great for the economy because the kids stay for days and bring in flocks of friends and family.

As always, we're open to suggestions, so if you have any for Terry, drop him a line.