Information on the 2009 Westwood-Dover Pop Warner Cheer Program
March 1, 2009
Last year 60 girls cheered for the program on 4 squads (B, C, D, and E.) For the past 5 years the competition teams (A and/or B) ranked among the top in New England and the country.
What squad will each girl be on?
When all the registrations for football and cheerleading are reviewed, teams will be formed. There will be 4 levels A or B, based on the age. If you have special requests, such as a brother playing football on a certain team or friends cheering, please let us know. Every attempt will be made to honor your request, but, there are age and squad size requirements, so we must work within those guidelines. You will be told before July what team you are on.
Will there be competitions?
The A and B squads in our league compete. The first competition is Oct. 24th, regional (November, location TBA) and national (December in Orlando) competitions depending on their ranking in each competition.
The C, D, and E squads in our league do not compete. Sometimes there is an exhibition where they perform their routine in a competition-like setting in September. All squads perform their routines at a Pep Rally in Westwood October 22nd where family and friends attend.
When will practice begin and how long will they practice?
Practice can begin Tuesday Aug 11th. Tentatively it will be between 5:30 and 7:30 in the Thurston gym on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursdays. In September, practice is less frequent, usually once a week for non-competition squads and three times a week for competition squads. The times and days will be communicated by the coach.
What is worn for games?
Each girl will be lent a skirt, vest, and track suit. They are handed out in August and are returned at the end of the season. Each girl needs a bodysuit, briefs, socks, hair scrunchy, and cheer sneakers. These are the same items as the last 3 years with the exception of new green briefs so there is no need to purchase them if you have them. We place a bulk order for the undergarments and forms will be given to you if you need to order new ones.
What is worn for practice?
For practice, a pair or shorts and t-shirt are fine. Each girl is given 1 t-shirt. Most dress requirements are for safety purposes, so nothing gets caught or girls do not fall. Cotton Shorts should be worn not slippery material. Similarly, tank tops with thin straps are not recommended because a girl could get caught on the strap. Hair should be up in a ponytail. All jewelry, including pierced earrings, must be removed. So please plan ahead if a girl is planning to get her ears pierced, so the earrings can be removed by practice start.
Are there any camps available?
We will be bringing a camp to Westwood in August. All girls should participate.
Cheer Camps
Westwood Recreation Depart Camp
Cheerleading August 10th-14th 9am-11am
Ages 5 through Elementary Schools
Varsity Spirit Camp
August 18th and 19th 9am – 3pm. $55.00 for each camper
Held at Thurston Middle School
(STRONGLY RECOMMENDED)
When and where are the football games?
The cheerleaders cheer at 8 regular season football games and any playoff or tournament games the boys qualify for. Usually 4 games are at home and 4 are away. Each girl will be given the list of games. Directions to each away game are on our website (www.westwoodpopwarner.com.) Games usually last 1½ hours and the girls practice for a ½ hour before each game. The schedule has not yet been determined, but the regular season will begin on Sunday or Monday September 7th (Labor Day). Most games are Sundays but there may be an occasional Saturday games.
What other paperwork is needed and why?
The envelope you received contains additional forms and requests. If you didn’t hand in items today, there “paperwork” night in July, right before practice begins. Due to insurance reasons, no one can begin practice until all forms are completed. All forms are on the Westwood Pop Warner site.
A Medical Form signed by the child’s physician (must be the 2009 Hockomock Physician form) dated after January 1, 2009 is required by the Pop Warner organization.
The Pop Warner organization encourages athletics but not at the expense of academics. A full year report card is required for each child to assure they meet a minimum average and to acknowledge and reward those with the highest averages. A numerical average is calculated for each child. If a child does not have a 2.0/70% average, he/she will be asked to fill out and submit a Scholastic Eligibility Form which is signed by a school administrator stating that the child would benefit from participating in the Pop Warner Program. If they are in grade 5 or above and have an average of 96 or above, they are eligible for the Pop Warner All-American Scholar program. 10% of these eligible children are selected, based on grades and extra-curricular activities, as national scholars and are honored at local and national events. Children in grades 8 and above are eligible for financial awards toward college.
A birth certificate with a raised seal is needed for each child. It is kept in a separate file and returned at the end of the season when uniforms are returned.
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Westwood belongs to the Hockomock Pop Warner League. All registration forms, medical forms, report cards, and birth certificates are put in a book and certified by the League to ensure each child meets the requirements. All information is kept confidential. The registration form and medical information are kept in a book that must be brought to each game. The birth certificates and report cards are removed from the team book and kept by a Board Member.
What is expected?
We hope both the girls and their families enjoy the program. Volunteer as much as possible. What is asked for in return is to respect the coaches and other football/cheerleading volunteers.
Can someone still sign up?
Yes, please mail the registration for to: Karen Wise, 50 Saxton Ave, Westwood, MA 02090. If you have questions about last year’s program contact Lori Moore at lorimoore1@verizon.net or 781-251-9311.
PLEASE HELP
The daughters of most of last year’s volunteers will be in the high school so will not be in Pop Warner next year. Please volunteer for something, contact Kathy Rowe, Cheering Coordinator at krowe@sonesta.com
Collecting and checking paperwork
Coaching (Head or Assistant)
Team parent
Cheer Coordinator (administrative)
Coordinating pep rally
Handing out uniforms
Coordinating practices and coaches