Tiny players make big impacts in the Tiger Athletics football season
Winter Austin evades a tackle. Photos by Brandy Muz
The Mitey Mites line up before the snap.
Cayden Pike helps on the sidelines as he waits to play.
Hands up in frustration, Elijah Healy recovers after a fumble.
Elijah Healy secures the ball following a tackle attempt.
Adam Giacomozzi speaks with his team post-game.
Evading tackles left and right, Jordan Roux-Santos runs for a touchdown.
Jordan Roux-Santos secures a touchdown.
Multiple Mitey Mites tackle for possession.
Winter Austin evades a tackle. Photos by Brandy Muz
The Mitey Mites line up before the snap.
Cayden Pike helps on the sidelines as he waits to play.
Hands up in frustration, Elijah Healy recovers after a fumble.
Elijah Healy secures the ball following a tackle attempt.
Adam Giacomozzi speaks with his team post-game.
Evading tackles left and right, Jordan Roux-Santos runs for a touchdown.
Jordan Roux-Santos secures a touchdown.
Multiple Mitey Mites tackle for possession.
Though the helmets and kneepads may be small, the Wareham Tigers football teams are gearing up for big things.
The Wareham Tiger Athletics is a program that provides youth sports opportunities for children ages five to 18. The organization offers various sports, including tackle football, flag football, sideline cheerleading, competitive cheerleading, youth basketball and wrestling.
As the season progresses, Coach for the Mitey Mites tackle football team, Adam Giacomozzi, said it's all about having fun while learning.
"My kids, they respond very well," he said. "They practice really hard for the most part. Well— when coach is around they practice really hard that is."
In his third year with the Mitey Mites, Giacomozzi said he loves to watch the kids grow during practices and games.
"When they start they don't even know the holes or any plays and now you've got little kids who are five to seven-years-old actually running plays," he said.
Children gain tackling, passing and catching skills on the road and at home next to Spillane Field. Little voices can be heard shouting plays and orders to fellow teammates on the turf as coaches place them in the correct starting positions.
According to Giacomozzi, Mitey Mites Football Jamboree is a goal the team is working toward. The event will see ten different teams come to town to compete.
"It's our third year doing it and we haven't won it yet," he said. "That's our goal as coaches is to try to be playing our best football at that point and we're getting there."
Although with the Jamboree on the horizon, the Mitey Mites have more than just their opponents to tackle. Attention spans have been proving a challenge for the players.
"They're five through seven-years-old— their attention spans are half second," he said. "Getting them to focus is hard but I've been doing it for three years so this group tends to pay attention for the most part. But, I let them get away with a lot because I'm a soft guy."
As the team continues to grow and learn, fans can catch the Mitey Mites battle for the win at the Jamboree Saturday, Nov. 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Spillane Field.
