In a move that comes as a complete shock to the Florida youth football world, the Sweetwater Pop Warner organization in Jacksonville has privately told one of their more prominent assistant coaches, Mike Lundy, that he should not move up with his team to coach on the Midget level. After a successful season at Jr. Midgets, Lundy operating as the offensive coordinator under head coach Kevin Tolliver, came up just short in the Southeastern regional championship losing to eventual national champion the Liberty City Warriors last season.
It was Lundy’s third consecutive appearance in the Southeastern Regional Final with his team who is preparing to either go to high school or play one more year of youth ball at Midget. And now his reign with that team is done.
It’s hard to find a more successful group from Duval County. Lundy’s ‘Clock City Boys’ won three straight city championships in Jacksonville Pop Warner and a national championship in 2011 at Jr. Pee Wee.
Park leadership is asking Lundy’s staff to move down to Junior Pee Wee (where they started) and coach a team coming up from the Mitey Mite level. However, the issue at debate is since Lundy, his head coach and other staffers have made it clear that this is their last year coaching, shouldn’t they be given one more season with their team? Its last.
For Sweetwater, their answer is that it’s time to move forward.
There is some debate on what the details that involve coaches from other parks coming to coach Midget instead of Lundy and company moving up. However, this much is clear, Lundy and his staff are not being permitted to continue to move up with there team ending a very solid run. Lundy says he shouldn’t be the one asked to move.
“No theses new Sweetwater coaches can go to Jr. Midget and build a relationship with the kids that will be midgets in 2015 since they want too be permanent midget coaches! The clock city boys are doing one year at midget this season, only. So let the new guys learn their kids for 2015 midget.”
Tune into Hotbed Radio tonight at 8:30 p.m. EST as we discuss this entire squabble at one of the city’s most successful organizations and for that matter, in the entire Pop Warner infrastructure nationally.
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