High schools, Pop Warner unite

Jeremy Osso has seen too many would-be Costa Mesa High football players leave the community to play for a different team.

The Mustangs football coach doesn’t fault them for leaving, but still wonders what could be had they stayed. Kapono Asuega, who played at Orange Lutheran, and his younger brother Keanu, who’s at Fountain Valley, didn’t follow in their eldest brother’s footsteps and play at Costa Mesa like Keola did.

Matt Viles, who’s the starting quarterback at Edison, actually lives in Costa Mesa, Osso claimed.

But there’s a way the community is trying to keep the young players competing for their hometown school. And youth football is coming as a strong source of help.

Costa Mesa Pop Warner has started a mentoring program, a buddy system, that involves players from Costa Mesa and Estancia teaching the little guys.

“Now you give [Pop Warner players] a reason to cheer for Costa Mesa and Estancia,” said Osso, who’s also an assistant for the flag football team his 5-year-old son, JJ, is on. “Now they’re like, ‘Let’s go watch them play because our mentor is there.’ Now the parents of the kids can also go watch their kids’ mentors rather than go watch a different team. Hopefully, they’ll see something they like and keep their kids local.”

Estancia also stands to benefit. Costa Mesa Pop Warner, which had long been known as the Mustangs, changed their name to the Eagles when they moved their home games to Jim Scott Stadium last year. The Pop Warner program wanted to symbolize the school they played at, and Estancia chose to give back by sending its high school players to teach the children.

“I think it’s awesome,” Estancia Coach Mike Bargas said of the mentoring program. “It’s beneficial for both programs, the high schools and Pop Warner. Plus it’s a situation where the shoe goes on the other foot and the high school players now know what a coach goes through. A lot of schools are going through mentoring programs. I think it’s ideal for sports, too.”

There are about 25 players total from Costa Mesa and Estancia involved in the mentor program, which began Aug. 1, said Steve Mensinger, the Costa Mesa Pop Warner president.

He said the high school players’ objective is to inspire the Pop Warner kids.

“Every great Pop Warner league associates with the local high schools,” Mensinger said. “The model is clear that Edison uses with Huntington Beach Pop Warner ... [The buddy-mentor program is] an evolutionary step for the growth of our league.”

The high school players also grow, but more in a maturation sense.

Take Alek Kirshner for example. Estancia’s incoming senior quarterback has also learned from teaching the Junior Midget team players.

“It’s been really cool,” said Kirshner, who also plays safety for the varsity Eagles. “I’ve been teaching the fundamentals and just trying to be a positive role model. I’ll be there to be the first one to correct a mistake and the first one to motivate.”

The little players aren’t the only ones being mentored. The cheerleaders for Costa Mesa Pop Warner also have mentors from the local high schools.

Everyone seems to be pleased with the results of the mentor program in just a couple weeks that it has been used.

Shiloh Godshall can’t complain. It’s a family affair in Costa Mesa Pop Warner for Godshall and the high school players are now adopted.

Godshall serves as the director of communications and publicity for Costa Mesa Pop Warner. Her husband, Fred, is a player agent for the flag football level. Their children are also involved. Bella, 12, is a cheerleader. Charlie, 10, plays for the Junior Pee Wee team. And, Ethan, 5, is on the flag football team.

In Costa Mesa Pop Warner, players have to make weight and sometimes a lot of them are running to lose it, Godshall said. The high school players are there to motivate them.

“I heard one of the high school players tell a younger player, ‘Come on you can do it. I know it hurts but it’s going to pay off in the end,’ ” Godshall said. “It’s different when it comes from a kid closer to their age. It’s very motivational.

“The buddy program is amazing.”

The high school players continue to help those in the Costa Mesa Pop Warner program as they prepare for the upcoming season. This Saturday there will be scrimmages at the Santa Ana Bowl against Santa Ana Pop Warner.

Costa Mesa Pop Warner will have its Opening Day Aug. 22 at Jim Scott Stadium.