Some pop for Costa Mesa

The Costa Mesa Pop Warner Football League was established in 1963 and it has never had a field to call home; until now.

The revamped league has done a complete 180-degree turnaround in the last eight months and will be able to call the new Jim Scott Stadium at Estancia High School its official home turf for the games on Saturdays this season.

With the program making such a drastic turnaround, the anticipation within the organization and the community is undeniable.

“It’s been a real buzz the last month,” said Byron Williams, the head coach for the Midget Division and league vice president. “The atmosphere is real positive. All the coaches are real upbeat and excited about getting out to practice and teach [the kids] how to play some football.”

From the moment the kids step onto the practice field, it is evident they have soaked up the buzz surrounding the league and turned it into motivation.

“I think [the players] are so pumped up,” said Kari Atencio, a team mom. “They are really motivated. I think when we hit that turf the first game they are going to be really excited too.”

The turf the teams will play on is the artificial turf at the brand new Jim Scott Stadium. Each Saturday, four of the teams will play their home games at the $9.5 million stadium while the other four teams play on the road.

The only way this setup was possible for the league was through the support of Estancia High and its generosity to the league.

Out of respect for that generosity, the board members of the league decided to have the same nickname as Estancia and changed it to the Eagles this year.

Costa Mesa Pop Warner and Estancia has become somewhat community partners with the intention of convincing young athletes to stay in Costa Mesa and not go to schools like Mater Dei.

“It takes bodies when it comes down to it,” said Mike Bargas, Estancia’s football coach. “Hopefully we can benefit through each other and keep kids in the community.

“It bonds the community, city, school and everything all around.”

A step in sparking that bond was for Costa Mesa Pop Warner to establish a good program that will bring more and more kids out each year. The enrollment went up 50% from last year and league president Steve Mensinger projects the numbers to increase from almost 300 players this year to 500 players within a few years.

“I think the community needs revitalization in youth sports,” Mensinger said. “The more kids we keep here in the community, the better it is.”

Mensinger has been the backbone of the league’s new outlook and implemented a plan that would allow the program to grow for years to come. When he approached the board members last year about leading the league in a new direction, he inherited a $16,000 debt and no field to call home.

Mensinger changed all of that by convincing corporate sponsors and Estancia High to get involved. After landing the new field, he and many volunteers from the community raised $125,000 to put into the league.

From the field, to the new uniforms and even the new equipment storage bins, this league is looking better than ever.

“I like the new direction,” said Ed Baume, the league’s longest standing member. “It’s a great feeling. The kids have adjusted to the new practice field at Parsons School and are really excited playing in the stadium.”

Baume has been around Costa Mesa youth sports for over 50 years and has been a part of Pop Warner since its start in 1963. The new direction he sees inside the organization reminds him of the golden age of the league when they had 10 teams. This season, the league will field 10 teams at or around 25 kids to a roster and wants more for next year.

It seems the golden age of Costa Mesa Pop Warner has returned.

MARK RATTO may be reached at (714) 966-4616.