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Independence, MO —
The Fort Osage High School football team will not participate in a jamboree Friday night.
Instead, coach Ryan Shartz’s Indians are going to host several teams from the Heart of America Pop Warner League, where the youngsters will scrimmage and interact with the high school players in the 2012 Meet the Indians Night. The Indians will then play an intrasquad Red/White Game at approximately 7:40 p.m. after helping the youth players.
“We played so many different teams and saw so many different schools this summer, coach Schartz didn’t think we really needed to participate in a jamboree,” Fort Osage activities director Brandon Hart said. “And I agree.
“The lifeblood of any successful football program is getting youngsters involved at an early age. In the past, that might have meant getting eighth graders involved before they became freshmen at the high school, now – with an event like this – we’re talking about second and third graders.
“They’ll be out with our players, that will hopefully get them interested in our program and they’ll dream about being an Indian someday.”
When University of Missouri defensive back E.J. Gaines was growing up, the Indians were one of the worst high school teams in Eastern Jackson County.
“We didn’t dream about playing at Fort Osage, because we knew the team wasn’t very good,” said Gaines, who played on the same Pop Warner team as Edward Pearl and other former Indian standouts. “What we dreamed about was going to Fort Osage and helping the program become successful.
“Now, little kids come up to us and ask us about winning and being an Indian. When I was a little kid, I just kept playing and learning about the game so we could get to the high school and do something special.”
Gaines and Pearl were part of the first Fort Osage team to represent the school at state.
“It’s hard for a little kid to think about a high school team if the team’s not successful,” Hart said. “But we’re finding that the little kids want to get involved with Fort Osage, and by teaming up with the Pop Warner League, we’re able to do that.
“It’s a win-win situation for us and Pop Warner. We’re all still going to get the football experience this Friday, it’s just going to be with younger kids.”
The Indians football field will be divided with 10-12 Pop Warner teams playing 15-minute contests beginning at 6 p.m. The Fort Osage cheerleaders also will help with youth cheerleaders and the Red/White scrimmage will be played after the Pop Warner players are done and the marching band plays.
The Fort Osage High School football team will not participate in a jamboree Friday night.
Instead, coach Ryan Shartz’s Indians are going to host several teams from the Heart of America Pop Warner League, where the youngsters will scrimmage and interact with the high school players in the 2012 Meet the Indians Night. The Indians will then play an intrasquad Red/White Game at approximately 7:40 p.m. after helping the youth players.
“We played so many different teams and saw so many different schools this summer, coach Schartz didn’t think we really needed to participate in a jamboree,” Fort Osage activities director Brandon Hart said. “And I agree.
“The lifeblood of any successful football program is getting youngsters involved at an early age. In the past, that might have meant getting eighth graders involved before they became freshmen at the high school, now – with an event like this – we’re talking about second and third graders.
“They’ll be out with our players, that will hopefully get them interested in our program and they’ll dream about being an Indian someday.”
When University of Missouri defensive back E.J. Gaines was growing up, the Indians were one of the worst high school teams in Eastern Jackson County.
“We didn’t dream about playing at Fort Osage, because we knew the team wasn’t very good,” said Gaines, who played on the same Pop Warner team as Edward Pearl and other former Indian standouts. “What we dreamed about was going to Fort Osage and helping the program become successful.
“Now, little kids come up to us and ask us about winning and being an Indian. When I was a little kid, I just kept playing and learning about the game so we could get to the high school and do something special.”
Gaines and Pearl were part of the first Fort Osage team to represent the school at state.
“It’s hard for a little kid to think about a high school team if the team’s not successful,” Hart said. “But we’re finding that the little kids want to get involved with Fort Osage, and by teaming up with the Pop Warner League, we’re able to do that.
“It’s a win-win situation for us and Pop Warner. We’re all still going to get the football experience this Friday, it’s just going to be with younger kids.”
The Indians football field will be divided with 10-12 Pop Warner teams playing 15-minute contests beginning at 6 p.m. The Fort Osage cheerleaders also will help with youth cheerleaders and the Red/White scrimmage will be played after the Pop Warner players are done and the marching band plays.
