Vista Pop
Warner FAQs
- What is Pop Warner?
- Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc. (PWLS)
is a non-profit organization that provides youth football and cheer &
dance programs for participants in 41 states and several countries
around the world.
Consisting of
approximately 360,000 young people ranging from ages 5 to 16 years old, PWLS is
the largest youth football, cheer and dance program within the United States.
PWLS, founded in 1929, continues to grow and serves as the
only youth football, cheerleading and dance organization that requires its
participants to maintain academic standards in order to participate. Pop Warner’s
commitment to academics is what separates the program from other youth sports
around the world. As the only national youth sports organization that requires
scholastic aptitude to participate, Pop Warner is committed to developing
America’s young people on the field and off. Each year, Pop Warner continues to
expand it’s efforts in team and activity participation, as well as visibility
and outreach in the community.
- How do we keep it safe?
-
Kids compete with kids of similar age and size. Pop
Warner enforces a strict age/weight matrix that reduces the risk and
reality of injuries.
We also have all of our head coaches first aid certified and CPR
trained.
Pop Warner's Rule Book is tough. Strict, time-tested guidelines for
protecting the safety of our kids. It also requires that EVERY
participating child plays in EVERY game.
Pop Warner provides Clinics for Football and Cheerleading Coaches every
year. Subjects range from surveying the practice/game fields for safety
to making sure the equipment used is in good condition. Sports
psychology sessions help coaches reduce their (and local parents')
passion to win and explains that it is more important for the kids to
have fun!
- Which Pop Warner conference is in my
area? What cities does that include?
- Palomar Conference
- Carlsbad, Escondido, Fallbrook, Murrieta, Oceanside, Poway, Ramona,
Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Penasquitos, San Dieguito, San Marcos, Temecula,
Torrey Pines, Valley Center and Vista
- Does my
child have to tryout to make the team?
- Pop Warner prohibits tryouts of any
kind for Pop Warner football or cheer. The first players to register for
the team (until the team is full) make the squad. We take players on a
first come serve basis.
-
If there are no tryouts what about the players safety?
-
Pop Warner has safety rules, one of which is an
age-weight schematic. This system insures maximum safety, since players
will be evenly matched in size and physical maturity when playing
football. The goal of the age-weight schematic is to control the overall
range of weights, from minimum to maximum, and the age of the children
on the field at a given division of play. The age-weight schematic is
based on growth charts developed by the American Medical Association to
include the largest number of kids at a given age. Unfortunately, some
children are too small or too large to play.
For cheerleading, the age-weight schematic does not apply, just age
applies.
- When does the season begin?
- The season starts the first week of
August and the regular season continues through the first or second week
of November. Playoffs and Bowl Games can extend into early December.
- What is August conditioning?
- During the month of August, the
players practice 5 days a week, Monday through Friday in the evenings
for the entire month. The first week of August is strictly conditioning
only. August is used to get our players into shape and learn football
fundamentals.
- Does my child have to come to all
the practices in August? We want to take a vacation.
-
Yes, it is extremely important that your child attend as
many practices as possible. In the month of August players are
introduced to football, proper tackling, hitting, passing, receiving.
The players are introduced to the team's playbook. If your child goes on
vacation during this month, he will be behind upon his return. Football
is a team sport and it takes 11 players executing their jobs to make
each play work. Football is truly a team sport and everyone must be on
the same page to make the team successful. Please plan your vacations
around it.
- 5 days a week practices in August
what about school?
- Pop Warner limits the Tackle teams
to a maximum of 6 hours a week once school starts in September.
- What times do they practice?
- Team practices are held in the late
afternoons/early evenings. Practices are held based around the team
coaches' work schedule. Teams normally practice from about 5:30 pm thru
about 7:30 pm Tuesday, Thursday & Friday (after the first two weeks of
conditioning).
- When and where are the games played?
- All of our games are played on
Saturdays. Our home games are played at Lincoln Middle School in Vista,
CA. The times of the games are determined by the number of teams
competing and field availability. Please see the LOCATIONS tab for away
game locations.
- What if I think that my child is not
playing enough?
-
Pop Warner has a "Mandatory Play Rule", which stipulates
that each team member must play every game. In fact, games may be
stopped at the beginning of the fourth quarter to insert any players
that have not played the minimum number of plays so far. Players that
are injured or benched for disciplinary reasons are exempted from this
rule.
- What can I do if I think the
Refs/Judges favor one team over another?
- Keep in mind that officiating
either football or cheerleading is a series of judgments. In any given
situation, people will agree or disagree with the official's decision.
One of the historical perspectives in sports is that the officials'
calls stand, that they are final.
Other than the discipline, the determination and the teamwork taught,
another educational goal of this youth sports organization is to teach
children to deal with adversity. Situations as such happen in life on or
off the playing field. The program helps teach the children that life
goes on, and it does not stop at the official making a call for the
opposition or the ball takes a bad bounce.
- What can
I do if I have a problem with a team member (child) or parent?
- What can I do if I have a problem
with a coach?
- Talk to the Coach and/or Team
Manager privately and politely. If you are unsatisfied with the Coach's
response, you may talk to the Athletic Director or President. Please do
not come to Board members with issues regarding coaches unless you have
already spoken with the coaches first. In most cases either the coach
has information that the parent is unaware of, or the coach is unaware
of the situation - in either case discussing the situation directly with
the coach will usually resolve it.