Girl power in the Chargers' Pop Warner
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

Pop Warner Coach Kevin Goguen watches as Helaine White practices with her teammates on Wednesday at the fields in front of Overlook Middle School. JOURNAL PHOTO/CAITLYN KELLEHER

Jane Peters knows that her interests on the football field are a little different than most of the girls her age but she doesn't regret the decision she made six years ago.

Fifteen-year-old Jane is an offensive end with the Oakmont Chargers Midget Squad. Jane says most of her responsibility is blocking the defensive attack.

"I have slippery hands," she said.

Jane started as an offensive guard and tackle. But a couple of years ago coaches moved her into the end position and "it just sort of stuck," she said.

Jane said the hardest part of the game is probably the same as what any player on a team sport would say.

"The hardest part of playing in a game is making sure you do your job and you do your job right because if you don't the whole play could fall apart."

Jane's mother, Trish Peters, jokes that beyond her daughter's love of the game she has reasons for playing.

"She can hit boys and get away with it," Trish said. "I think a lot are surprised she can do what she can."

In Pop Warner the teams are divided by both weight and age, so at 15 years old, Jane's participating in her last season before aging out.

Tim Driscoll coaches three girls on his Mitey Mites Pop Warner Team including his daughter Cassidy and two other girls, Helaine White and Rachel Vargeletis.

Helaine started playing football at recess with a group of friends and then decided she wanted to play more formally. She said she likes the game and she wants to play "to prove to the boys that girls can play too."

Helaine is going into third grade this year and will turn nine during the season.

"I'm so proud of her," said her mother, Michele, as she watches her daughter practice this week.

Helaine is still participating in the preseason drills and a little nervous about her first game, which comes up in two weeks.

"We don't treat them any differently," Tim said. "We only treat kids differently by size."

Jane Peters (left and above) is a sophomore at Oakmont Regional High School and is starting her sixth season playing as part of the Oakmont area Pop Warner program.

Tim, whose team is comprised of seven- and eight-year-olds, said at this age the girls are more fluid and less awkward then many of the boys.

Each of the girls have different stories that brought them to the Pop Warner program, just like the boys who comprise the majority of their teams.

Tim's daughter got interested because she attended a lot of the practices when he coached last year and so she decided she wanted to play this year.

Tim said he hasn't seen any real separation between the boys and the girls on the team. His coaching style hasn't changed and there doesn't seem to be any harassment by the players.

He said it is odder to be on the opposing team, which was something that Jane agreed with.

"I remember hearing, 'Oh my God there's a girl. They are going to be really bad,'" Jane said.

It was good to be able to prove them wrong, she said.

She has gotten more used to hearing coaches say statements like, "Don't run like a girl" directed either at her or at her male teammates. In the beginning it bothered her now it is more like a joke between her and the coaches.

At one point she said, "What do you think I'm a monkey."

She said she thinks a lot of girls are intimated by the thought of joining the teams and she hopes that she can be a role model for those that are interested in playing.

"It was tough. You are sore and you're tired," she said. "But if you want to do it you can."

During the first year her younger brother Joe played for the Pop Warner program, Jane decided that was something she could do and wanted to do. So the next spring as Joe signed up again, Jane joined the team.

Now the boys don't think anything of her playing or even her presence on the sideline. She says she learned things she never expected to know.

As the girls decide to take to the field wearing helmets and pads their parents have to make the decision to let them play.

"I'm so football illiterate," said Helaine's mother. "She's going to teach me all the stuff."

She is still learning how to put all of the pads into her daughter's uniform and will soon be learning the rules of the game. Michele has a younger son and decided when he was born there would be no contact sports.

"I really was surprised it was the girl child that came home with the football sign up," she said.

Helaine convinced her mother that because of all of the padding and the coaching she would be safe on the field and that it was better than just playing football on the school playground.

"I don't want to say no to any sports now and have her say yes to anything dangerous in the future," Michele said.

None of the parents of other Pop Warner players questioned her decision to let her daughter play on the team, according to Michele, a sentiment that most of the girls parents echoed.

Jane's parents decide not to encourage her to go out for the high school team because of the size difference between the boys and herself.

But they do encourage her to look at amateur or professional women's leagues, or to do some coaching of the younger players.

"I was thinking about going and coaching the younger players," Jane said.