Program nearing its goal line

COSTA MESA — For two weeks, Vanessa Mariani, a 7-year-old from Costa Mesa, pestered her mother about wanting to play tackle football.

It seemed as if everyday the little girl would shove a glossy flier about Costa Mesa Pop Warner in her mom’s face.

“Have you signed me up yet?” Vanessa would ask.

“I felt like if she wants to do it that badly I should check it out,” her mother, Sonya, said. “I talked to the coaches and they assured me that it would be safe, so I just let her play.”

Vanessa played plenty Saturday. She was on hand, along with 259 other youngsters affiliated with Costa Mesa Pop Warner, ringing in the new season at Estancia High. It’s the program’s second year at Jim Scott Stadium and the participation numbers are the largest “in recorded history,” Costa Mesa Pop Warner President Steve Mensinger said. And, the numbers include one girl named Vanessa.

She plays for the program’s Junior Mighty Mite Division, 7-8-year-olds, the first group that can play tackle football. She easily stood out among others during a scrimmage with Brea for Costa Mesa’s Opening Day. Her long brown hair flowed out of her helmet and swayed with a strong wind that swept through the Costa Mesa school near noon.

“I like [football],” Vanessa said, keeping her mouthpiece in during an interview.

She said she doesn’t feel any different from her teammates because she’s a girl.

“It’s awesome,” Sonya Mariani said. “She fits right in. There hasn’t been any problems and they don’t treat her different. It’s really nice. The league is so organized and careful that it is not even a worry to me about her playing.”

Sonya Mariani also has an 11-year-old daughter who is a cheerleader and a 9-year-old son playing for the Mighty Mite team. When she found out more and more about Costa Mesa Pop Warner, she said she could not resist the excitement generated from the young players and the program’s leaders.

“It’s run professionally and it’s well-organized,” she said. “It makes you want to be a part of it and it makes you want to jump on board and do what you can to support it because it’s been so successful.”

Mensinger has had several people join him to help improve Costa Mesa Pop Warner’s ways. He remembers six years ago when there wasn’t proper equipment for players or the facilities for practicing or competition. The participation numbers were low and Mensinger said many parents were either taking their children to play for a different youth football program or having them go out for soccer.

But Mensinger reminded parents, players and all those in attendance Saturday that “the dream of this organization is to compete with the best Pop Warner leagues in the area.”

He has been a big part of that, organizing a board-member group for Costa Mesa Pop Warner and acting aggressively with fundraising. He also made it a priority to include the local high schools, Costa Mesa and Estancia, in his project. It’s a five-year plan started last year. The program wants to eventually include up to 450 players and 20 teams.

Getting Estancia involved has appeared to have helped, as the program’s numbers grew in the two years at the school. For its part, the Costa Mesa Pop Warner program changed its nickname from the Mustangs to the Eagles, the same as Estancia’s.

But Costa Mesa High is still present. Its football coach, Jeremy Osso, attended Opening Day, as did Estancia Coach Mike Bargas. Both spoke briefly, Bargas telling the players that, “It’s your field, too.”

Estancia Principal Phil D’Agostino and Costa Mesa City Councilwoman Katrina Foley, who has two boys competing on teams, also took part in the ceremony.

As for the results of the fundraising, Mensinger was happy to report that there are now two other football fields available for use near Jim Scott Stadium. One is a regulation field that was completed recently when two goal posts were raised.

“The credit falls on a whole group of people believing in a dream, believing in the power that you can accomplish anything,” Mensinger said. “Our community has had that potential, but we have never gotten together to achieve that.”

Among the new facilities for Costa Mesa Pop Warner is a snack bar, Mensinger added. It is named after Ed Baume, 81, who has been with the youth football program since 1966, he said.

The snack bar is called, “Ed’s Beach Bar & Grill.”

While Baume is excited about the honor, he appeared to be more enthusiastic about the recent buzz produced by Costa Mesa Pop Warner. He was genuinely happy about the improvement of the participation numbers.

“To me it’s just a thrill to see it all,” said Baume, who many call “Mr. Pop Warner.”

The players and parents are anxious, as the teams open their season Saturday.