James “Smiley” Camitz, born December 16, 1931, was a lifelong resident of Pittsburg, California, who played football for the Pittsburg Pirates from 1946 and was a teammate of future Pro Football Hall of Famer John Henry Johnson in 1947 and 1948 before a broken leg effectively ended his playing career. His passion for football led him into coaching, and after watching 12- to 14-year-old players in Concord’s Pop Warner Football Program in 1960, he set out to create a program in Pittsburg. Through late 1960 and into spring 1961, he secured sponsors for equipment and uniforms, obtained practice facilities, and assembled a coaching staff. His Mallards teams compiled a 34 and 2 record, won three East Bay championships and four bowl games, recorded 27 shutouts, and outscored opponents 1,037 to 83. From the 1962 through 1964 seasons, the Mallards posted 16 consecutive shutouts, and in 1963 they went undefeated and unscored upon, holding 9 opponents to minus 136 yards of total offense, winning the national Pop Warner championship, and later defeating Mayfair of Philadelphia 33-0 after attending President Kennedy’s funeral instead of meeting him. Season by season, the Mallards went 8-0 in 1961 with 7 shutouts and East Bay and Northern California Section titles; 9-0 in 1962 with 4 shutouts, Northern California Section and West Coast Regional titles, and a 32-0 Pop Warner Bowl win over Salt Lake City; 9-0 in 1963 with 9 shutouts, only 8 first downs allowed, East Bay, Northern California Sectional, West Coast Regional, and National Pop Warner Disneyland Bowl championships, and a 33-0 win over the East Coast champions; and 9-1 in 1964 with 7 shutouts, East Bay, Northern California, and California State titles, and a 33-0 Mother Goose Bowl win over San Diego. As those players advanced to Pittsburg High School, Pirate teams compiled a combined 30-2-4 record, with undefeated 1964 and 1966 teams, one-loss 1965 and 1967 teams, and D.V.A.L. championships in 1964, 1965, and 1967. Known as a tough, hard-nosed coach, Camitz earned his players’ respect, fondness, and love, and they credited him with teaching lessons that served them in football and throughout their adult lives.