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NORWALK, Conn. In the first year of the Norwalk Police Activities League Grizzlies football program, coach Chris Santopietro watched his team finish winless.
Now, two years later, the Grizzlies have served notice to the other teams in the Fairfield County Football League that they have overcome their growing pains. In consecutive weeks, the Grizzlies, now eighth graders, have tied and beaten two New Canaan teams that have dominated the league over the past four years.
I always believed we could do this, because of the kids, Santopietro said. These kids have come a long way through hard work and dedication. They bought into our goals and they are learning about effort and responsibility. Its unbelievable how far theyve come.
It has not been easy for Santopietro and Matt Hefferan - who created the team - to build the program. Their practice facility is a field off of West Cedar Street which is unlined, does not have goal posts and has limited parking. They also have trouble acquiring fields for home games. The eighth graders had one home game this year, in the first week of the season. The sixth- and seventh-grade team does not any home games.
Still, the Grizzlies have closed the gap on the rest of the league in a short period of time. I think were getting better all the time, said Spencer Jacobsen, who scored a touchdown and made the game-saving tackle in Sundays win over New Canaan. Were practicing better and working harder.
A difficult first year was an important part of the process, Santopietro said. They never quit, he said. That was the most important thing. We saw them improving as football players. But this isnt always just about football. Its about overcoming adversity and fighting through challenges and working as a team.
We got our first win last year and you could see the confidence building, he continued. If weve taught them that its not always going to be easy in life and they come away learning that, then weve done our job.
The Grizzlies will turn over the eighth graders to the high school coaching staffs next year. The teams at Brien McMahon and Norwalk will be the ones to reap the real benefits from the players time with the Grizzlies. Santopietro and Hefferan have worked with the high school coaches to ensure smooth transitions.
Most importantly, however, the Grizzlies have built a foundation that will help them stay competitive with the more established teams like New Canaan, Darien and Westport.
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