GT Titans Jr. Football Opening Ceremonies

As summer comes to an end, football fans anticipate the beginning of a new season, filled with cheerleaders, touchdowns and even more team spirit. For the Grand Terrace Jr. Titans, this season will mark the third year of the youth football league. With about 200 kids actively involved in playing tackle or flag football, or even cheering, the teams came together Sunday, Aug. 25, for an Opening Ceremony at Grand Terrace High School. The ceremony started promptly at 10 a.m. with League President Hayward Robinson introducing this year’s athletic director, commissioner, coordinators and coaches. The cheer squad followed his speech with a special performance of its own, getting parents and family members pumped for the day, and most importantly, the season ahead. When the Jr. Titans were established they had no practice fields and no home field, but with the help of community members and businesses, they have gained enough support to keep their teams alive and thriving. This year the Jr. group will be using Grand Terrace High School as their home field. Athletic Director Linda Lora said her favorite part of the league is seeing the kids grow as people and as players. “They get to know the kids that are living on their street, that they go to school with and they get to play football all year long,” added Lora. Coach Ryan Purdie explained that the hope is that Grand Terrace will grow and become one of the powerhouses of the league. “We’re hoping to see improvement. Every year we’ve gotten consistently better and we’re getting more kids from other cities coming out because they want to be a part of the expansion. So we’re just looking to get kids to improve their skill level so we can compete against more of the established cities.”