Panthers Youth Football Celebrates Inaugural Homecoming

The West Bloomfield Panthers youth football and cheerleading teams celebrated their inaugural season Saturday at . And despite the blustery weather, nonworking scoreboards and lack of a public address system, there was plenty of enthusiasm and spirit among the participants and their parents. 

This year's inaugural season has helped teach three football teams and four cheerleading teams a variety of life skills while entertaining those involved with athletics, volunteering and "family time" opportunities.

"These kids feel like they're in the NFL," said Nancy Dent of Keego Harbor, whose excitable 7-year-old son Joey, a student at Roosevelt Elementary School, plays for the Panthers' junior freshman team on the offensive and defensive lines. "He likes to play golf, too, but this is different. He gets really excited to be a part of a team and he's learned respect and teamwork ... he also likes to run around and tackle."

Dent said her daughters contributed to the Panthers' homecoming effort this weekend, as the families joined together after practice Friday afternoon for a tailgate in the high school parking lot. On Saturday, the Panthers played the fifth game of the season against the Macomb Mustangs, with pregame ceremonies to honor parents as well as a raffle.

"(The family) is all here," Dent said. "The girls made signs for Joey's team  to wave around and it's a great time. It's unbelievable how professional the league is — it's just a shame that the power's out today."

The area was affected with power outages that knocked out the school's public address system and scoreboard.

The Panthers' junior varsity and freshman football teams both lost, but it was a positive experience nevertheless for many families involved.

"She wouldn't be happy if this was canceled," said Pontiac resident Cassandra Eden of her daughter, Dakiyah Green, who participates on the junior varsity cheerleading team. "This is her reward for hard work in school — even though this is hard work. She loves it ... and it teaches her to have a good attitude."

Eden said that it has brought her closer with other families in the West Bloomfield School District. Dakiyah goes to with West Bloomfield resident Kimberly Williams' daughter Kamari Williams, another junior varsity cheerleader.

That sense of community is exactly what the Cooper family was hoping for when Michael and Natalie — seven-year residents of the township who have four children enrolled at and and participate on the Panthers — launched the Panthers program together.

"Our hope is to prepare them to play football at West Bloomfield High School and be great students when they get there. We try to work hand-in-hand with school extracurricular programs," said Natalie, who works as the co-director of the cheer program and as secretary.

The district has been receptive to the program, said Cooper, who has a master's degree in elementary education, in the spirit of keeping talented athletes enrolled in the district. Participants come from the district and play all home games at the high school field.

"We're teaching kids the basics in cheerleading and football — proper stance, technique, and plays," Cooper said. "It's been popular. All of our levels are filled and we're at about 120 kids."

The team competes as part of the Michigan Youth Football and Cheer Conference, a nonprofit organization started two years ago with teams in nearby Farmington and Pontiac and as far away as Brighton and Macomb Township.

For more information on the team, visit its website at WestBloomfieldPanthers.com.