I played through Pop Warner at my local program, which is among the best in the state and has a good connection to the HS program. I played for one team for 8 years.
Mandarin is a powerhouse at the youth level and they always play my local program tough. They have national titles, they are nationally known... Mandarin is, overall, better than any Central Florida program. Dr. Phillips and Apopka are the only programs that come close.
One thing about APK and DP is different - the talent flows into the high school and there is already pride in playing for the community, the town, the program... the Blue Darter, the Panther.
A huge mystery to me for years has been.... Why is this not the case at Mandarin? They are a sleeping giant in my opinion. No disprespect to the program - they do well overall - but what is the missing link?
(side note: I lost to Lakeshore in Pop Warner in 1999 and 2000. guess who their QB was???)
Mandarin is a powerhouse at the youth level and they always play my local program tough. They have national titles, they are nationally known... Mandarin is, overall, better than any Central Florida program. Dr. Phillips and Apopka are the only programs that come close.
One thing about APK and DP is different - the talent flows into the high school and there is already pride in playing for the community, the town, the program... the Blue Darter, the Panther.
A huge mystery to me for years has been.... Why is this not the case at Mandarin? They are a sleeping giant in my opinion. No disprespect to the program - they do well overall - but what is the missing link?
(side note: I lost to Lakeshore in Pop Warner in 1999 and 2000. guess who their QB was???)