Irvine Chargers ready to roll

Rick Bautista is ready for his first season as Irvine Chargers president.

It won’t be long before preparations begin for Irvine Charger youth football teams under first year league president Rick Bautista, who has been vice president 17 years.

“We’re excited, it’s bigger than it’s been the last few years and we’re going strong,” said Bautista. “We’re looking at fielding eight to nine teams and we’re in a new football league. We left Orange County Junior All American.”

The Charger teams will compete in the Snoop Youth Football League.

“It’s Snoop Dogg’s league and it’s a pretty established league,” Bautista said. “They’ve really gotten organized. I visited them during the playoffs and their championship games last year and they really did a good show and there was a lot of support there.”

There will be teams from Los Angeles, Long Beach and the Inland Empire, Bautista said.

“I think we’re the only Orange County team right now,” Bautista said.

CHARGER HISTORY

• Irvine resident JT Daniels (now with USC) played for the Chargers  from 2007-2013.
• In 2012, the Chargers won the Super Bowl for the first time since 1994. Members of team included Daniels, Nikko Remiggio (Cal) and Irvine’s Rian Fields (Fresno State).
• The Chargers were also Super Bowl champs in 2014. Only Cory Bautista and Marc Filia were part of both Super Bowl Championship teams and Rick Bautista coached both teams.
• The Chargers 11-and-under team coached by Myron Williams won the Super Bowl in 2017.

Players will begin preparations for the new season on Friday, July 20 at Heritage Park. Home games will be at Irvine Stadium starting the first week of September.

Bautista said there are many benefits to players competing with the Chargers.

“I talk a lot about how family and good memories are established right here,” said Bautista, who has had two sons, Ricky (former quarterback at Northwood) and Cory (varsity player at Irvine) play with the Chargers. He has two other sons, Troy, 9 and Brody, 6.

“We take pride in having quality coaching,” Bautista said. “We like experienced coaches, we like looking at their background and we want coaches who teach quality and they’re not just there for their own interest.”

Bautista said that eight of the nine players he coached on one of his successful teams are on full-ride scholarships in college, including J.T. Daniels, who is now at USC after a stellar career at Mater Dei. In addition, Marc Filia, who was also on that team, signed a baseball scholarship with UC San Diego.

“We’ve got a few, I’m proud of them,” said Bautista, who played football at Woodbridge and graduated in 1986.

Players may sign up through the first week of August by going to the league website at www.irvinechargers.com and the league is for players ages 4-13.

Bautista said he is looking forward to working with the Chargers board of directors, including Crystal Cruz, vice president.