They May Be Small, But These Mites Pack A Mighty Hit
By Jack Danilewicz
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When Shawn Richardson looks back on his Ewa Saints Mighty Mites Pop Warner team season, among the more memorable images are those August practices in oppressive heat.
Indeed, if anything sums up his football team’s success, it’s the work his players put into weekly preparation.
“The initial conditioning was five days a week, and it was hot with the sun beating down,” Richardson said. “We had a lot of kids coming from other sports, too, so it was hard. At first, they may have thought they were in boot camp. I know we had some parents who wondered if they were being worked too hard. We kept it pretty regimented, but execution is a lot better with repetition, and you could see the proof on game day.”
On the field, the Saints recently ran their unbeaten string to 18 games dating back to the fall of 2007, the first season the organization fielded a team in the Mighty Mites division (7-9 years old). They went 9-0 this season, winning their games by an average score of 29-7. In addition to a pair of shutouts, the Saints also held four opponents to a touch-down or less. A 16-12 win over the Hawaii Kai Dolphins in the title game Nov. 29 highlighted Ewa’s season.
While Richardson and staff were buoyed by the won-lost record, creating a work-ethic among the 33-member squad was foremost in their plan.
“As far as goals as a team go, we never want to get out-worked,” explained Richardson. “We want them to prepare with everything that they have whether or not it’s football, school or professionally. They took to it.”
Fifteen boys on the roster also were part of the 2007 undefeated team, giving Richardson and his staff a good nucleus of returnees.
“It was a little harder (in 2007) since it was our introductory year with the Mighty Mites. The leadership we came into this season with made it easier for the kids to buy in. We were just blessed. We had kids who willingly stepped up as leaders, and they showed true leadership. There’s a difference between being a dictator and a leader.
“The kids really bonded,” he added. “It’s a cliche to say it, but they played for each other. Even during the hard drills, they were always there to support each other.”
Richardson cited some of the more grueling workouts early in the season as a turning point for his team - especially after his players began to see the results of their hard work.
“After the first week, when we had some older kids practicing with us in the training phase, they found out that they were in better shape than those boys, and that stood out in their mind. There were never any complaints about conditioning anymore. They realized they were really conditioned.”
Scheme-wise, the Saints kept it simple, employing the run-oriented double-wing-T on offense. “We probably passed only six times all season,” Richardson laughed. “We played smash mouth football and drilled it every day. They got good at it and were rarely stopped. Defensively, we attacked and tried to create havoc and create turnovers.”
Richardson, who was assisted by coaches Jeff Antonio, Cliff Respicio, Lawrence Rosa, Jay Cabunoc and Todd Takahama, also singled out team manager Mona Lariosa for her work behind the scenes. “There are a lot of other things that don’t involve coaching, and she did a great job, allowing the coaches to just coach,” he said.
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