Coach Snoop Causes Controversy

(AP)  Using star power and cheaper rates, Snoop Dogg's new youth football league is luring children from existing Southern California leagues, leaving some teams struggling to stay afloat while celebrities and corporate sponsors jostle for involvement in Snoop's league.

Two years ago, the rapper and sometime actor rocked the youth football world when he enrolled his two sons in the Rowland Raiders program and volunteered as a "daddy coach" for the team.

Now Snoop is shaking things up again with his decision last month to break from the Rowland Raiders program to form the Snoop Youth Football League, which he plans to expand beyond its initial eight Southern California chapters.

He loosened residency requirements and lowered fees for joining a team from the $175 charged by other leagues to $100, which also covers the cost of cleats and pads.

Snoop believes the lower rates will better serve cash-strapped urban communities.

"It's so easy for a kid to join a gang, to do drugs," Snoop told the Los Angeles Times. "We should make it that easy to be involved in football and academics."

The rapper said he plans to stage a benefit concert Aug. 25 with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Ice Cube, with all proceeds to be donated to the Snoop Youth Football League.

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