Kids score on and off the field
When Zane Zent boards a jet airliner three weeks from now, he’ll begin a journey that will be etched in his mind for many years to come. Anytime an 11-year-old boy gets to spend a weekend alone with his father, memories are sure to be made, but this Memorial Day weekend will be extra special for the 7th grader from Parras Middle School.
Zane Zent will represent Redondo Beach Youth Football and Cheer at the Pop Warner Little Scholars 50th Annual All-American Convention in Philadelphia.
It was meaningful enough for Zane, whose father, Steve, changed plans he had made to celebrate his birthday that weekend so he can accompany his youngest son on the flight, but the highlight of the trip awaits in Philadelphia where Zane will represent Redondo Beach at the Pop Warner Little Scholars 50th Annual All-American Convention.
Zent is one of five players from Redondo Beach Youth Football and Cheer (RBYFC) who were honored for their scholastic achievement and the only player from the organization who will be attending the banquet.
“This is an honor to be in the top 2 percent of 400,000 kids who play Pop Warner football,” Zent said. “I only have one year of Pop Warner left and I want to go out with a bang.”
A running back and linebacker on the gridiron, Zent also plays baseball in the TABB organization and plans on following in his older brother Zachary’s footsteps by competing in both sports at Redondo Union High School.
Steve and his wife, Luz, have stressed the importance of education to their sons, as evidenced by Zachary’s 4.4 and Zane’s 4.0 GPA.
“It’s family first, academics second and athletics third,” Steve said. “Both boys have a strong desire to go to college and they work equally hard in school and on the ball field.”
While Steve feels Zachary’s success is a motivator for Zane, the youngest Zent denies there is pressure to keep up with his older brother, even though he is the youngest in his class.
“I put pressure on myself,” said Zane, who picks math and science as his favorite subjects. “I also take a Leadership Class at school to help me be a better person. I know that maybe only 1 percent of football players make it to the pros, so I have a backup plan to join the CIA.”
Prior to high school, the highest GPA possible is 4.0 so leadership, community service and extra-curricular activities are taken into consideration for the Pop Warner Little Scholars program which chooses 35 football players and 35 cheerleaders as First Team honorees. The Second Team consists of the next 65 percent of participants in each category. The remaining players are awarded Honorable Mention certificates.
Zent is the lone 6th or 7th grader to be honored from Redondo, earning Honorable Mention status. Selected to the 8th grade Second Team was William Moses of Parras Middle School while 5th grade students Alec Oshita (American Martyrs), C.J. Shapiro (Hermosa Valley) and Jake Symon (Hermosa Valley) were Honorable Mention selections.
The scholar-athletes generate a bright spot for RBYFC which, along with the Torrance and Palos Verdes programs, left the controversial American Youth Football and Cheer program prior to the 2009 season and created the South Coast Conference under the Pop Warner umbrella. Pop Warner football is celebrating its 81st anniversary this season.
“We are so proud of the boys,” said Deann Webb, vice president of the South Coast Conference of Southern California Youth Football and Cheer and player representative for RBYFC. “It’s so great for our organization and I’m sure we’ll have more honorees next year. We are delighted to be a part of the Pop Warner program.”
Moses said he was surprised to be selected to the Second Team. “It’s quite an honor,” the 14-year-old stated. “I’m not sure how they pick the players but I’m excited to be chosen.”
A 5-foot-9, 140-pound offensive and defensive lineman, Moses also plays lacrosse and hopes to play both sports at Redondo High. His favorite subjects are social studies and history and he wants to become a business owner after earning a college degree.
John Shapiro, who coached Oshita, Symon and his son on the Sea Hawks’ Jr. Pee Wee team, is fully aware of the importance of academics for his players. The Ivy Leaguer played wide receiver at Brown University before enjoying a professional career that included a stint with the Los Angeles Raiders in the late 1980s.
“There was a study done when I was in college that showed that players received better grades during the season,” Shapiro said. “They seemed to be more organized and focused with a tight regimen.”
Shapiro said he won’t allow his players to practice until their homework is completed. “We have players who finish their school work on the sidelines and when they’re finished, they run onto the field and join us. The parents are good about letting me know if their son is falling behind in school. There have been situations when I haven’t let a kid play until his grades improve, but he can always come back when he’s ready.”
Shapiro’s son, C.J., plays quarterback and cornerback for the Sea Hawks and, like many young signal callers, is a Peyton Manning fan. Shapiro also plays baseball and basketball and after his prep career at Mira Costa, he would like to attend San Diego State University. He enjoys math and social studies and would like to become a doctor or business owner after college.
Symon, 11, likes blocking on the offensive line and making tackles from the defensive end position. He also plays baseball and basketball and would like to play hoops at Mira Costa before attending either UCLA or Ohio State University. His favorite subjects at Hermosa Valley School are science and social science.
Oshita attends American Martyrs in Manhattan Beach and plays a variety of positions for the Sea Hawks including linebacker, guard, defensive end and running back. He also plays on the school’s basketball team and his favorite classes are P.E. and art. Aspiring to become a professional athlete, Oshita has a strategy for maintaining his 4.0 GPA as a student-athlete.
“I try to get my homework done at school,” the 11-year-old declared.
Registration for the RBYFC 2010 season is available at www.eteamz.com/redondobeach. Walk-up registration will be held at Perry Park on Saturday, May 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. ER