When Sweetwater Athletic Association began, it only had three divisions. Established in 1999 by Donnie Moore and Linda Adams, the park’s first president, the association evolved into a local youth powerhouse with immediate success. One year after its opening, the program won its first city championship at the Midget division, eclipsing that the following year by winning the Pop Warner Super Bowl at the Jr. Midget level. How does a startup program achieve such immediate success? Where did the talent come from?
Before Sweetwater, Westside Jacksonville only had three notable associations: Westside, Normandy, and Lakeshore, which has had its share of success winning a Pop Warner Super Bowl. The founders of Sweetwater were a part of Lakeshore’s success before parting ways to go in a different direction with an alternative for the kids. Adams and Moore started SWAA with three winning principals – God, family, and sports – that they believe all go hand in hand.
So what makes the program so successful? Talent, coaching, or leadership? It’s tough to tell because they don’t seem to be lacking in any of those categories. No matter how you feel about the program, the accolades speak for themselves.
The program, now headed by Moore, does more than just coach kids in youth sports; it mentors players even after they’ve played their last down of Pop Warner. Moore surrounds the program with mentors and quality coaches with various backgrounds and the understanding that they have to communicate with each kid differently. During offseason, the SWAA staff keeps in contact with players through school visits and Facebook groups.
The staff members also play a small role in preparing players for success after leaving the program. As players progress through the program from Tiny Mite to Jr. Midget, they’re evaluated at each level and prepared for the next level by the SWAA staff. SWAA coaches prepare players to go in to compete at the varsity level once they finish at the Jr. Midget level. Another key element that’s important to athletic development is where players go on to play next. SWAA coaches and staff understand that every player’s potential peeks at different times, so everyone isn’t built for powerhouse programs going into high schools.
This program continues to function at a high level even after so many great coaches have come and gone, and it all starts with the leadership. Moore handpicks all of his coaches for each level and requires the “Sweetwater 6” be implemented in every coach’s playbook. Those six proven plays have won championships every year. Every kid that comes through the program can line up and run those plays like the Wing-T at Bolles. SWAA also offers other sports such as baseball, basketball, and 8-on-8 spring football to keep kids engaged in year-round after school activities.
