Manteca Cowboys president Eddie Lopez thinks there is room for another youth football team in town.
He even helped the Central Valley Wolfpack, the sixth organization of its kind in Manteca, get started.
Lopez, who also serves as vice president of the National Youth Football League, played a big part in ushering the Wolfpack into the league and the city.
Based out of French Camp, the Wolfpack uses East Union High’s facilities to host practices and home games and has joined the Cowboys in the North Division of the NYFL, which also oversees teams from Stockton, Lodi, Modesto, Ceres, Riverbank, Patterson and Fremont.
Lopez said the addition has sparked added enthusiasm within his own program.
“We’re going to enjoy having a crosstown rivalry in our league,” he said.
The Cowboys, established in 2003, have had no problems filling up rosters for their four age-based teams in recent years.
Lopez said that the city’s other teams — the Delta Rebels, Manteca Jaguars, Manteca Chargers and Manteca Jr. Buffaloes — as well as his own generally aid each other’s causes in case rosters get thin. The Cowboys limit their four teams to 35 players each on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The Delta Rebels and Manteca Chargers are part of the Delta Youth Football League, the Manteca Jaguars compete in the Central California Junior Football League (Cen-Cal) and the Jr. Buffaloes are in the Trans Valley Youth Football League with the Ripon Chiefs and Ripon Knights.
“I have no problem helping the other teams in town,” Lopez said. “When our teams fill up we have a waiting list. It’s all about the kids and we want them to be happy, so we don’t mind sending the ones on our waiting list to other teams in town.”
Wolfpack president and varsity head coach Jason Carter said he hasn’t heard any rumblings about further crowding the youth football presence in town. He said he respects the other organizations and is impressed with how well they get along.
“There’s always room for another team,” he said. “If all the teams are well organized and work together, the more the merrier.”
Vice President Ramon Padilla said the Wolfpack’s youngest teams, the starters and rookies, have nearly reached capacity. The junior varsity and varsity squads still have openings but have enough to field teams on game day.
The Wolfpack has drawn most of its players from Manteca, though many come from French Camp and Lathrop. Padilla said there are a handful of kids who come from Stockton and Ripon.
Getting started was a little rough back in January. Padilla said the team was originally going to operate out of Weston Ranch since some of the Wolfpack’s coaches and board members branched out from one of the teams in the South Stockton community.
But with the help of Lopez, East Union and Manteca Unified School District, the Wolfpack eventually found a home in Manteca.
“We’ve been real blessed,” Padilla said.
Lopez added that the current distribution of youth football teams within Manteca Unified’s boundaries is ideal.
Each of MUSD’s five high schools host home games for two youth football programs apiece: the Rebels and Wolfpack at East Union; Cowboys and Jr. Buffaloes at Manteca High; Jaguars and Chargers at Sierra; Lathrop Jr. Spartans (formerly the Titans) and Steelers at Lathrop High; and the Weston Ranch Ravens and Falcons at Weston Ranch High.
“Everything just worked out,” Lopez said.
Padilla said he had a conversation with East Union varsity head football coach Mike James after the Wolfpack was approved to use the school’s practice and football fields and got his blessing.
“He called me and was excited to have another team in Northern Manteca,” Padilla said. “He said we were more than welcome to use it as long as we keep it clean. We love it here. The neighborhood is great.”
The ultimate goal of the organization’s board members is to provide a positive atmosphere for the players to thrive in, not just on the football field but also as students and future leaders of their communities.
“We want to take it to another level (beyond) football,” Padilla said. “We want the kids to show respect to others and have positive attitudes. We will also be looking at report cards to make sure they’re doing well in school, and we’ll have parents help tutor those who are struggling.
“We want to teach them the fundamentals of football, but we’re not just out here training kids on how to play football.”
Carter said that the involvement of parents is also stressed.
“When they’re not involved the kids lose out,” he said. “I don’t want to say we’re out here babysitting, but sometimes that’s what it comes down to.
“So the more parent participation we have the better the atmosphere we have. It creates a buzz. It’s not just, ‘Let me come out here and just watch my kid and leave.’ We want them to be excited about the other teams we have out here, not just the one their kid plays for.”
For more information about the Central Valley Wolfpack, visit cvwolfpack.clubspaces.com.
He even helped the Central Valley Wolfpack, the sixth organization of its kind in Manteca, get started.
Lopez, who also serves as vice president of the National Youth Football League, played a big part in ushering the Wolfpack into the league and the city.
Based out of French Camp, the Wolfpack uses East Union High’s facilities to host practices and home games and has joined the Cowboys in the North Division of the NYFL, which also oversees teams from Stockton, Lodi, Modesto, Ceres, Riverbank, Patterson and Fremont.
Lopez said the addition has sparked added enthusiasm within his own program.
“We’re going to enjoy having a crosstown rivalry in our league,” he said.
The Cowboys, established in 2003, have had no problems filling up rosters for their four age-based teams in recent years.
Lopez said that the city’s other teams — the Delta Rebels, Manteca Jaguars, Manteca Chargers and Manteca Jr. Buffaloes — as well as his own generally aid each other’s causes in case rosters get thin. The Cowboys limit their four teams to 35 players each on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The Delta Rebels and Manteca Chargers are part of the Delta Youth Football League, the Manteca Jaguars compete in the Central California Junior Football League (Cen-Cal) and the Jr. Buffaloes are in the Trans Valley Youth Football League with the Ripon Chiefs and Ripon Knights.
“I have no problem helping the other teams in town,” Lopez said. “When our teams fill up we have a waiting list. It’s all about the kids and we want them to be happy, so we don’t mind sending the ones on our waiting list to other teams in town.”
Wolfpack president and varsity head coach Jason Carter said he hasn’t heard any rumblings about further crowding the youth football presence in town. He said he respects the other organizations and is impressed with how well they get along.
“There’s always room for another team,” he said. “If all the teams are well organized and work together, the more the merrier.”
Vice President Ramon Padilla said the Wolfpack’s youngest teams, the starters and rookies, have nearly reached capacity. The junior varsity and varsity squads still have openings but have enough to field teams on game day.
The Wolfpack has drawn most of its players from Manteca, though many come from French Camp and Lathrop. Padilla said there are a handful of kids who come from Stockton and Ripon.
Getting started was a little rough back in January. Padilla said the team was originally going to operate out of Weston Ranch since some of the Wolfpack’s coaches and board members branched out from one of the teams in the South Stockton community.
But with the help of Lopez, East Union and Manteca Unified School District, the Wolfpack eventually found a home in Manteca.
“We’ve been real blessed,” Padilla said.
Lopez added that the current distribution of youth football teams within Manteca Unified’s boundaries is ideal.
Each of MUSD’s five high schools host home games for two youth football programs apiece: the Rebels and Wolfpack at East Union; Cowboys and Jr. Buffaloes at Manteca High; Jaguars and Chargers at Sierra; Lathrop Jr. Spartans (formerly the Titans) and Steelers at Lathrop High; and the Weston Ranch Ravens and Falcons at Weston Ranch High.
“Everything just worked out,” Lopez said.
Padilla said he had a conversation with East Union varsity head football coach Mike James after the Wolfpack was approved to use the school’s practice and football fields and got his blessing.
“He called me and was excited to have another team in Northern Manteca,” Padilla said. “He said we were more than welcome to use it as long as we keep it clean. We love it here. The neighborhood is great.”
The ultimate goal of the organization’s board members is to provide a positive atmosphere for the players to thrive in, not just on the football field but also as students and future leaders of their communities.
“We want to take it to another level (beyond) football,” Padilla said. “We want the kids to show respect to others and have positive attitudes. We will also be looking at report cards to make sure they’re doing well in school, and we’ll have parents help tutor those who are struggling.
“We want to teach them the fundamentals of football, but we’re not just out here training kids on how to play football.”
Carter said that the involvement of parents is also stressed.
“When they’re not involved the kids lose out,” he said. “I don’t want to say we’re out here babysitting, but sometimes that’s what it comes down to.
“So the more parent participation we have the better the atmosphere we have. It creates a buzz. It’s not just, ‘Let me come out here and just watch my kid and leave.’ We want them to be excited about the other teams we have out here, not just the one their kid plays for.”
For more information about the Central Valley Wolfpack, visit cvwolfpack.clubspaces.com.
