PORTAGE | As participation numbers go, it has been a good season for Portage Pop Warner.

The program has grown to 10 football teams and five cheerleading squads, with a total of 350 children. According to Portage Pop Warner president Richard Schmidt, this is almost twice as many children in the program than there was eight years ago.

Schmidt attributes the growth of the program to the creation of the Mighty Mite age division, which allows children as young as 5 years old to play football.

"What's great about the Mighty Mites is that when you get them in that young they will stick with us as they grow," he said.

Another benefit of having such young players in the program is that they learn the game and how to work with their teammates at a much earlier age. This creates a situation where the game becomes ingrained in them.

This season, Portage had only one football team make it into the NIPWLS playoffs -- two Portage cheerleading squads qualified for the cheer playoffs. Schmidt believes that the football playoff numbers will increase with the coming of age of Portage's first Mighty Mites.

"They are moving up into the older levels next year," he said. "We're going to see all of that experience playing together pay off."