ON SOLID FOOTING

Good riddance, Al Davis.

Don’t come back, Georgia Frontiere.

Youth football participation in Southern California is surging, contradicting the dire predictions that young people might lose interest in the sport after the Rams and Raiders abandoned Los Angeles in 1995.

Four years ago, there were 51 football teams in the Valley Youth Conference. This season, there are 92 teams competing from Santa Clarita to Woodland Hills, from San Fernando to West L.A.

“It’s not dying in any way, shape or form,” said Bill Speer, president of the West Valley Eagles.

The Ventura County-based Pacific Youth League exceeded 100 teams for the first time this season.

“This is a banner year,” said Commissioner George Roberts of the PYL.

Players 6 to 14 are putting on helmets, shoulder pads and cleats and engaging in football combat just like the adults in the NFL.

Convincing parents to allow their children to sign up for tackle football is the first hurdle.

Imagine a 7-year-old getting thrown to the ground. Mom is having a panic attack and dad doesn’t know whether to cheer or attack the kid who slammed his son.

Fear of injury is always a concern, but parents experienced with youth soccer are learning football is a safer sport. At least that’s the observation of Sandy Harrison, whose 13-year-old son, Rick, plays for the Eagles.

“He played soccer until the fifth grade,” Sandy said. “Then, he said, ‘Mom, I don’t want to play soccer anymore, I want to play football.’

“I was mortified. I always thought football was too physical a sport and was afraid he’d get hurt. In three years of football, there were far fewer injuries than soccer. In his last year of soccer, there was a broken ankle, broken leg and broken arm.”

The departure of the Raiders and Rams has been a blessing in that increased television coverage in Los Angeles is helping create interest in the sport among youths.

Every Sunday, 13-year-old Justin Maynard watches NFL games with his father and brothers on a 60-inch TV while munching on chips and salsa.

“After church, we come straight home and watch football,” Tim Maynard said.

Justin plays for the San Fernando Braves, a Pee Wee team that has outscored its four opponents this season, 184-0.

“I just like playing because it’s more physical than soccer, basketball or baseball, and if you get mad, you can hit them,” Justin said.

Brian Garris, a 13-year-old from Woodland Hills, fits the profile of the type of player the Eagles have begun to attract. He had been playing baseball, then decided to try football this season as an eighth-grader because he wants to play the sport at El Camino Real High.

“My dad liked it because he thought it would get me stronger for other sports,” Garris said.

“My mom was indifferent. She wasn’t used to me getting hit. She’s hoping I’ll hate it, but I don’t.”

Playing wide receiver for the Eagles, Garris has shown the kind of speed and skills that could make him a top player in high school, according to Speer.

Most importantly, Garris is learning about misconceptions involving football.

“I was pretty shaken up the first time I played,” Garris said. “I’m pretty tall and playing against little guys, I expected to pop them, and they popped me.

“I was dazed and confused. I think it’s amazing how little kids can pop the big kids. It’s not how big you are. It’s how you hit them and where you hit them.”

The rise in youth football participation is good news for local high school coaches. The more experience players gain before they are freshmen, the quicker they’ll be able to contribute on the varsity.

Coach Rick Hayashida of El Camino Real said his school should benefit from the improved strength of the Eagles’ program. He points out the best Conquistador team in school history, the 1977 City runner-up, was loaded with former youth players.

“Ninety-five percent of those kids happened to play Pop Warner,” Hayashida said.

Parents are finding sports competition is another way to ensure their child focuses on school and stays out of trouble. It’s a simple approach: Do your homework or you don’t play. The threat of being benched is powerful motivation. Players are already learning to balance their time in preparation for high school and college.

During the week, Garris wakes at 6:30 a.m., walks to Hale Middle School, returns home at 3 p.m., spends 20 minutes on homework, goes to baseball practice, goes to football practice, comes home around 9 p.m., finishes his homework and goes to sleep.

It’s a hectic but enjoyable teenage life. And he seems to be handling the inevitable ups and downs of football.

“I didn’t get a belt for the first couple of games, so my pants kept falling down,” Garris said.

Such is the life of a first-year player for the West Valley Eagles midget team.

It might be many years before the Super Bowl or another NFL team return to Los Angeles, but here’s another option: The PYL Super Bowl is set for Dec. 4 at Oxnard High, and the Valley Youth Conference Junior Super Bowl is scheduled for Nov. 21 at Pasadena Muir High.

You can watch either Super Bowl without having to pay $500 for a ticket, and the players won’t demand a pay raise for a victory, other than perhaps a $1 increase in their allowance. And maybe a trip to Chuck E Cheese’s to celebrate.

Eric Sondheimer’s local column appears Wednesday and Sunday. He can be reached at (818) 772-3422 or eric.sondheimer@latimes.com