Kids Get Their Kicks at ‘Football Frenzy’ Contest

With deep concentration showing on scrunched faces, young athletes gave it their all Sunday, hoping to throw and kick their way to Rose Bowl glory.

For the 60 or so children competing on a grassy field at the North Hollywood Recreation Center, distance and accuracy were the keys to winning the “Football Frenzy” contest, for which they punted, kicked and passed as best they could.

Sponsored by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Pacific Bell, the contest culminates next month when winners from Sunday’s event go on to compete against others in their age group at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

Wearing a blue-and-white jersey hanging down nearly to his knees, Cameron Robertson, a 7-year-old from the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles, ran backward to rev up for his kick.

The ball shot out from under his foot in a straight line, never getting more than inches from the ground. Undeterred, he tried again. The pigskin refused to fly.

But Cameron did better in the throwing portion of the competition, thanks to a quick lesson from former UCLA quarterback Matt Stevens, who held a workshop for the children--most of them boys--on football fundamentals.

Now that Cameron knew how to line up his fingers the right way, his ball spiraled in an arc through the air. The football flew at least “five to 10 feet further” than his previous passes, said his mother, Roberta Robertson.

“Oh, Mom! Did you see what I got!” Cameron said, jumping up excitedly.

Older kids were more guarded. Some said they realized what was at stake and did not want to get their hopes up.

Tilting a football in its plastic tee just so, Michael Healing, a 10-year-old from Palmdale, ran up and kicked hard.

The ball’s trajectory followed an arc so high and long that a boy in the crowd yelped, “Look at that!”

Michael’s high cumulative score for the three portions of the contest--passing, kicking and punting--made him the winner for his age group, 9-to-10-year-olds.

“I was very nervous,” Michael said. “I didn’t think I was going to win,” he added, even though he has played in a football league for four years.

Other winners were Devin Rodriguez of San Fernando for the 7-to-8 age group, Jose Cortez of North Hollywood for the 11-to-12 age group, and Ruben Nevarez of San Fernando for the 13-to-15 age group.

But the urge to win was tempered by sportsmanship.

Andrew Baslow, a 12-year-old from Northridge and once the defending champion for his age group, said the important thing was that he tried his best.

“I won it one year,” he said. “I wanted someone else to win, too.”