From staff reports
San Marcos — It’s a big day for young football players throughout the area as the Christian Federation of Police Officers Police Athletic League hosts its annual Super Sunday celebration today at Bobcat Stadium.
Super Sunder consists of the championship and consolation games for three different divisions — Pee Wees, Junior and Senior. It all gets started at 8 a.m. with the Pee Wee games.
The season started with 63 teams and more than 1,600 youth players, cheerleaders and coaches from San Marcos, Kyle, Buda, Stockdale, Luling, Lockhart, Seguin, Geronimo, Marion and New Braunfels. So to get through the regular season and playoffs to make it to a bowl game is no small accomplishment
However the winning and fanfare are not the number one priority for the coaches and players in the CFPO-PAL organization. CFPO-PAL athletics has long stood for more than just teaching good football skills and developing good young athletes, according to CFPO-PAL director Frank Calabrese.
“A quote from our coaches manual states, ‘We are developing good teachers, plumbers, firemen, construction workers; just good men,’” Calabrese said. “Sports — football in this case — is merely a vehicle to make this happen.”
Calabrese said along with teaching some of the best youth athletes in south-central Texas the football skills they need to compete and advance to the next level, the coaches also focus on weekly life skills that include responsibility, goal setting, self control, perseverance and integrity.
“They incorporate the life skills into their practices with an ‘I can’ methodology,” Calabrese said. “I can be responsible. I can show self control. I can have integrity. These life skills are used to drive home the CFPO-PAL core values; God, Family and Country.”
“The CFPO-PAL league the largest independent youth football organization in the state and we are trying to develop the best young men we can, not just good football players. We are encouraging our kids to be part of something bigger than themselves and give back just like they see their coaches and parents doing.”
CFPO-PAL has also developed scholarship programs for the two high schools in New Braunfels in order to offer two students each year financial aid to help with the cost of going to college.
“We call the scholarship ‘Good Men Giving Back,’ and are in the process of funding the same thing in other towns as well,” Calabrese said.
Calabrese also wanted to thank the Hays County Commissioners helping the league with the construction of a Youth Sports Park with three football fields.
Pee Wee Division
• Sugar Bowl: New Braunfels Ravens vs. Seguin Wolverines, 8 a.m.
• Super Bowl: Stockdale Brahmas vs. Luling Eagles, 9:05 a.m.
Junior Division
• Orange Bowl: Luling Eagles vs. Kyle Rebels, 10:10 a.m.
• Super Bowl: San Marcos Cowboys vs. New Braunfels Bears, 11:15 a.m.
Senior Division
• Rose Bowl: New Braunfels Aggies vs. Stockdale Brahmas, 12:20 p.m.
• Super Bowl: Luling Eagles vs. New Braunfels Bears, 1:25 p.m.
