Tackle Gang

A week before the Super Bowl, 18 boys between the ages of 12 and 14 stood on the artificial-turf field on the roof of Pier 40, in 20-degree weather, for the first Downtown tackle football team practice of the year.

  

Bob Townley, director of Manhattan Youth, hopes that with these hardy young souls he can reclaim the glory of 1986. That year, not only did the New York Giants march to the NFL championship and the Mets win the World Series, but the Lower Manhattan Giants, under Townley’s tutelage, won the Pop Warner Football league crown.

Pop Warner football disappeared from Downtown in 1987, but no, for the second consecutive season, it’s back. And while the season doesn’t start until summer, it will take time for players to hone their skills.

On that cold morning last month, the gang of bundled-up middle schoolers and high schoolers began learning the finer points of tackling, blocking and running plays, and the names and roles of all the offensive and defensive positions.

“We’re trying to get the team in shape,” Townley said. “It’s not easy to find 30 committed players. And this involves real teamwork, synchronization and being able to follow preset plays. It’s like theater or dance. You have to know each step and not just run around the field. We might repeat the same play 50 times.”

Practice is every Sunday at 11:30 a.m. at Pier 40 at Houston and West streets. For more information, call Townley at 766-1104, ext 229.