Football season is almost here, but for members of the Wesley Chapel Bulls, it got an early start during a recent visit with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at One Buc Place.
(Courtesy of Mary Guyer)
Members of the Pasco Police Athletic League had a chance to watch the Buccaneers, under head coach Lovie Smith, practice, and then received some pointers from some of the players afterward. It’s the kind of access not every young football player gets, said Pasco County Sheriff’s Office liaison Cpl. Mary Guyer.
“On that Monday, we got rained out, so the kids didn’t get to go out on the field,” she said. “But on Tuesday, they were able to get out there again, and got autographs, pictures, and some training on the practice field.”
PPAL took several hundred kids from teams like the Bulls over a two-day period to meet and greet the Bucs before they start their 2014 season. The league got a boost this month when Wesley Chapel Toyota donated $5,000 to the league, which will help some of the underprivileged players who might not be able to afford uniforms to be able to do just that.
Guyer has her own connection with the Bucs. Former linebacker Derrick Brooks, who was recently elected as the third Buccaneer to join the Pro Football Hall of Fame, has given Guyer the title of “sheriff of football.” Guyer works closely with PPAL as representative of the sheriff’s office.
This weekend is a bye week for the league because of Labor Day, but games resume Sept. 6 with contests including Land O’ Lakes vs. Dade City, Trinity vs. Hudson and Wesley Chapel vs. Zephyrhills. Fields locally are located at Pasco High School in Dade City, the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex on Collier Parkway, Sam Pasco Park in Zephyrhills, and Wesley Chapel District Park on Boyette Road.
To learn more about the league, visit PascoPAL.com.
Published August 27, 2014
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