Friday Night Lights party
COSTA MESA — It’s safe to say Demetrius Cash wears several hats.
In more literal terms, he wore a Kansas Jayhawks visor Friday at the Jack R. Hammett Sports Complex. He stays busy for the Newport-Mesa Friday Night Lights flag football program.
Cash coaches three teams for FNL, which celebrated with its Opening Day on the fields in Costa Mesa.
“This is so much fun,” said Cash, who also coaches his son’s soccer team away from FNL. “It’s just been fantastic: the atmosphere, the competition. Everything is just wonderful.”
Cash’s daughter, Layla, and son, Jaycen, play in the league. Jaycen sang the national anthem to kickoff the season-opening games. Cash had a friend who’s a deejay bring his system to spin some top 40 tunes for the kids and their parents.
Cash is happy to help. He’s seen Newport-Mesa FNL grow within the past year. Newport-Mesa FNL began with 90 kids and 12 teams last spring and is now up near 400 with 50 teams, Newport-Mesa FNL Commissioner Scott Mahaffy said.
Friday’s ceremony was like one big party. Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer, City CEO Tom Hatch, along with councilman Steve Mensinger and councilwoman Wendy Leece were in attendance for the Opening Day ceremony, which featured a group of kids running through a banner as a ribbon-cutting of sorts.
“It’s just great seeing the kids having fun,” said Mahaffy, who oversees the league of boys and girls of all different skill levels for grades K through 8. “That’s the best thing about it. We group them by their school so it’s a lot of kids they know. It’s all about fun.”
Mahaffy said FNL takes a less-intense approach with its games and practices, and that has helped the league grow. Newport-Mesa FNL has one game and one practice each week. And, because the games take place on Friday, that allows the kids to continue competing in other sports such as baseball and soccer.
Cash said many of the young players use FNL as an introduction to football to see if they want to continue and perhaps go into tackle football.
With the growing concern of concussions in contact sports, some parents choose non-contact flag football as an alternative.
Some parents just want their kids to try something different.
Cash knows FNL can be fun for all of them. It’s why he doesn’t mind coaching three teams.
Twitter: @SteveVirgen