Justin Stanko was a two-time all-state football player at Bunnell High School, where he graduated in 1991.
Then he received a scholarship to play football at the University of Connecticut, where he was a defensive linesman.
Now Stanko, who is a 13-year veteran of the Derby Police Department, is the director of football for the Shelton Pop Warner program.
So he’s indoctrinating the kids with the secrets of the UConn playbook, setting them up to be bone-crushing bruisers once they hit Shelton High School, right?
Wrong.
Actually, during a 30-minute conversation about Shelton Pop Warner, Stanko spent more time talking about the Pop Warner philosophy — citizenship, teamwork, safety — than football itself.
“Pop Warner is as much about raising good kids as it is about football and cheerleading,” Stanko said.
Shelton Pop Warner has been around for a long time — 66 years.
Youth football and cheerleading is a crowded field in the Valley, Shelton especially.
To keep interest from waning, Stanko said Shelton Pop Warner has re-emphasized safety and citizenship.
“We’ve started to implement some things we think are unique to Shelton,” Stanko said.
The season starts Aug. 1, so parents are advised to sign up as soon as possible. Click here to visit the league’s website.
While Pop Warner has always required players to have passing grades, Stanko created a new policy last year when he coached the league’s Mitey Mights (youngest) division.
The players brought a form to school each week. If the player behaved well in school that week — that is, showed respect to his teachers and classmates — the teacher then signed the form.
Then, at football practice, the players with signed forms were rewarded in some way, such as by not having to run laps.
“Grades are important and last year we started asking about how our kids behave in the classroom. Behavior is important, too. We’re trying to raise respectful kids,” Stanko said.
Stanko said by the end of last season just about every player was brining back signed forms proving they had behaved well in school that week.
By the way — the Shelton Mighty Mites went undefeated last year.
“The parents loved it,” Stanko said of the policy. “By the end of the season we had an undefeated season and by the end of the season I had almost a 100 percent return on those forms. It was as satisfying to see that as it was to win the games.”
This season the policy will be broadened to include every player in every Shelton Pop Warner division.
Pop Warner officials are also introducing safer equipment and new training methods.
Concussions — especially the potential to make kids vulnerable to the injury at an early age — have been a huge cause of concern among football families across the U.S.
Earlier this year Shelton Pop Warner snagged a grant for high-tech helmets designed to reduce head injuries.
Click here to read a press release on the helmets.
In addition, Stanko said he’s helping to bring new exercise and training techniques to Shelton Pop Warner.
The idea is to strengthen the whole body to promote better health and reduce the chance of injuries.
It’s a training philosophy to which Stanko was exposed while attending the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va. two years ago.
It entails a lot more than just an endless cycle of the same gridiron drills.
“The idea is not just to make you stronger, but more healthy. For example, building back strength is important. So we’re not just training you to have a football body, but to have a healthier, stronger body in general,” Stanko said. “It’s about dynamic conditioning, cross-fit training — and it’s fun for the kids.”
How is it fun?
“It’s not just ‘OK, we’re going to run laps today.’ We’re pushing tires, we’re flipping tires, we’re dragging bags, it’s hard work but it’s things they like to do,” Stanko said. “It’s safer, it prevents injuries and the kids love it.”
Finally, Stanko, a father of three himself, said he and his coaches don’t just acknowledge that the players look up to them — being a role model to the players is a requirement.
There are some five coaches in Shelton Pop Warner who are also police officers at varying municipalities.
The newest coach is Norwalk police officer and U.S. Army veteran Patrick English.
You might remember seeing English on television news last year, when he surprised his kids by popping into school after completing a tour of duty in the Middle East.
“He is going to be a coach and that is exactly the type of positive leadership and positive role model kids need at this level,” Stanko said.
Click to learn more about Shelton Pop Warner football, including how to register online.
