Somerville Pop Warner football teaches youngsters not only athletic skills but also the value of teamwork and commitment to the pursuit of personal excellence. - Photo by Kathy Faulstich

The Somerville Pop Warner football program is running on all cylinders thanks to Roger Desrochers and all the people who help support the program.  Roger Desrochers has been the president of Pop Warner in Somerville for over 8 years. He has been involved in the program for over 22 years. Roger originally started off as an assistant coach when his kids were old enough to play.  His seven year old had made the E team and since he knew he would be there at all the practices, it made sense to help out the league any way he could.

He started as an assistant coach and has been involved with the league ever since. He was a coach for 16 plus years and now has been the president for six years. When asked why all these years, Desrochers’ response is, “It’s a lot of fun and I enjoy it. I love Pop Warner.”

Desrochers was an assistant coach for Somerville High School while still coaching at Pop Warner before he decided to devote the majority of his time to the Pop Warner program.  He feels that “They are young kids trying to make it somewhere and learn a sport. They are more attentive on the field and they really want to play. I feel that I am helping them and giving them a chance. We have a lot of support from family members and coaching staff members.”

Desrochers believes that all kids should have a chance to play a sport, have a place where you can make new friends, learn new things and be a productive person.  By not refusing to accept any kid he is helping to make the community a better place by giving kids a place to go and have fun. There have been numerous times when parents have come over to Desrochers to thank him for helping out their kid.

The age limit for the kids is from five years old to fifteen years. Roger Desrochers’ primary focus is to make sure that the kids are safe, have fun, and learn in the process about football and about playing as a team.

The teams are broken up by age and weight. By keeping the weight the priority, the kids play against kids their own size so that it helps reduce the chances of a player getting injured on the field. All kids are weighed before each game to make sure that everyone is within the weight limits of the division. Any player that exceeds the limit is not allowed to play. It is for the safety of all the kids.

Before a child is allowed to play, the parents have to produce their kid’s report card. If the player’s grades are not satisfactory then the kid is not allowed to play. The player must maintain a proper grade average during the season or the player will be taken off the team.  Any special needs that a player might have are brought to the attention of the coaching staff. Somerville Pop Warner has never refused a kid to play the game of football who has fulfilled these obligations.

Teaching the game of football to all the kids is probably the most difficult only because of all the different personalities of all the players. Each kid brings something new and unique to the team every year. It is up to the coaches to help each kid out and try to bring out the best in them.

Desrochers wants to make sure that the kids are having fun. He stresses that with all the coaches.  Chris Desrochers, the head coach from the D team says, “There is nothing more satisfying than watching a kid make a great play on the field and seeing the smile on his or her face after the play. Win or lose, seeing the kids have fun while learning how to play the game is the most satisfaction I get as a coach.”

The Pop Warner teams this year from A to D have all made the playoffs. Dave West, who is the coach of the E team, has his team going to the Baby Bowl. This is a huge accomplishment for the kids, the league and the city of Somerville to be represented in this way.