Huddle up, Nocatee and Palencia!
The organizers of a new youth football program aimed at budding blockers and ball carriers from the Nocatee and Palencia areas will hold a meeting next month to gauge interest.
The gridiron gathering will take place at Valley Ridge Academy in Ponte Vedra on Thursday, March 13 from 6 to 7 p.m.
The Noc-Pal Area Athletics “Big Cats” would play in the Pop Warner First Coast conference and include 6U, 8U, 10U and 12U teams.
Players, organizers said, “develop life-long values of teamwork, sportsmanship and a superior work ethic on the playing field and in the classroom.”
All home games will be held at Nease High School — the football home of Florida Gator legend Tim Tebow — and road games will take place across the Jacksonville metro area.
“Our focus is on building character and teamwork while seeking to be competitive with sportsmanship,” the group states. “We use football as a tool to help youth be a more confident and resilient person in life and in society.”
The March meeting will provide interested parents with a comprehensive picture of the new program and include a question and answer session.
In addition to coaches, Noc-Pal and Pop Warner board members will also be present to engage with parents.
“Pop Warner is the oldest national youth football and cheerleading organization in the world,” the program states on its website. “Our football coaches are certified through and use USA Football techniques in shoulder tackling, blocking and block defeats to increase the safety as much as possible in tackle football.”
All players will get a minimum number of plays each game, with additional field time as determined by effort, attitude, and performance in weekly practices.
