By Tracy Jordan—

PERTH AMBOY — Due to academic excellence and performance both on the field and in the community, 10-year old Sammy Cruz, grandson of Perth Amboyans Jorge and Carmen Cruz, has been named to the 2012-2013 All-American Scholar Second Team for Pop Warner Little Scholars. From well over 4,000 applicants nationwide, Sammy was one of the few who got selected – in fact, form the top 2%!.

The mission of Pop Warner Little Scholars is to enable young people to benefit from participation in team sports and activities in a safe and structured environment while teaching fundamental values, skills and knowledge that young people will use throughout their lives. Pop Warner strives to inspire youth, regardless of race, creed or national origin, to practice the ideals of sportsmanship, scholarship and physical fitness as reflected in the life of the late Glenn Scobie “Pop” Warner. Sammy will be honored at an award dinner at the Marriott in Boston Memorial Day weekend. He is also eligible for valuable prizes and scholarships due to his award. His father, Jorge Cruz, is the Director of Planning and Development at the Jewish Renaissance Family of Organizations and his mother, Ivonne Cruz, is Associate Director for the Center for Academic Success for the College of New Jersey.

History of the Pop Warner:

In 1929, the owner of a new factory in Northeast Philadelphia enlisted the aid of a young friend, Joseph J. Tomlin, to solve a recurring problem. The factory’s huge ground-to-floor windows were constantly being shattered – 100 broken windows in just one month – by teenagers hurling stones from a nearby vacant lot. Joe Tomlin, who excelled in sports, had a possible answer. Since the other factories in the area were also being plagued by the young vandals, he suggested that the building owners get together to fund an athletic program for the kids. By 1933, the Junior Football Conference had expanded to 16 teams. That year Glenn Scobie “Pop” Warner, already a legend among active football coaches, arrived in Philadelphia to coach the Temple Owls. Joe Tomlin met Pop Warner at a winter banquet and asked him to lecture at a spring clinic. On the evening of April 19, 1934, there were high winds and torrential rain mixed with sleet. Of the dozen speakers at the clinic, only Pop Warner showed up. The 800 young football players kept him talking for two hours. By the end of the evening, the fledgling youth program was renamed the Pop Warner Conference. Walt Disney created a two-hour show, “Moochie of Pop Warner Football.” It can still be seen today

Let us all applaud the efforts of Sammy and congratulations to him and his family! To learn more, visit www.popwarner.com on the Disney cable channel.