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2017 Frequently Asked Questions
When does Pop Warner Football season start and end?
Our season begins for all divisions on August 1st. Season usually ends for Tiny-Mites and Mitey-Mites Thanksgiving weekend. For all other divisions, they will have playoffs, bowl games and can travel to places outside of our Mt. Baldy Pop Warner Football Conference. Their season ends about the 1st or 2nd week of December for the older divisions.
I heard that cheer is now competitive, is this true?
Yes it is true and we couldn't be happier that it is. In addition to cheering and performing at all the football games, our cheer squads will now compete in local, conference, and regional cheer competitions and will have the opportunity to qualify to compete for the National Cheerleading Championship at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
Absolutely! We understand that this is a huge commitment and sacrifice for your family to make. However, regular attendance is critical during August, because that's when the fundamental instruction takes place and each athlete must put in mandatory conditioning time. Most boys and girls, who miss even one week of practice in August, find it very hard to catch up. It's also not fair to the kids who might be on a wait list that are able to attend every practice, but cannot due to the maximum number of participants allowed per team. Athletes with frequent absences will be dismissed from the UPW program.
When and where are practices and games played?
Practices begin on or around August 1st and practices will be held for all divisions Monday through Friday from 6:00pm to 8:30pm with no practice on weekend. August practices will be held at Upland High School. There will also be two scrimmage games (practice games) in August. In September our practice schedule changes for the rest of the season. We practice from 3 days a week from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. this may include some Saturdays from 8am to 10:30pm.
Games are played every Saturday on a time rotational basis. Each team will play a minimum of 8 regular season games, but no more than 13 games in a season. Normally a team will play approximately half their games at home field and the other half at away games (NOTE: this can vary and some teams may play more or less home games according to needs of scheduling). Game schedules are issued by Mt. Baldy Football Conference. Home games will be played at Upland High School in Upland. Away games will include these cities: Jurupa Valley, High Desert, Diamond Bar, Chino, La Verne/San Dimas, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, Rialto, Victor Valley (High Desert) Riverside, Moreno Valley, Pomona and San Bernardino.
What equipment will I need to buy for my child?
How do I determine which division my child will play in?
The division your child would play in is dependent on his/her age and weight as of July 31st. Below is the Pop Warner weight/age chart:
|
Division Name |
Ages |
Weight |
|
TINY-MITE |
5-6 |
35 - 75 lbs. |
|
JUNIOR MIGHTY-MITE |
7-8 |
50 - 100 lbs. |
|
MIGHTY-MITE |
8-9 |
50 - 100 lbs. |
|
JUNIOR PEE WEE |
8-9-10 |
65 - 115 lbs. |
|
PEE WEE |
9-10-11 |
80 - 130 lbs. |
|
JUNIOR MIDGET |
11-12 |
95 - 155 lbs. |
|
MIDGET (older/lighter) |
12-13-14 *15 |
110 - 180 lbs. 110 -160 lbs. |
*The asterisked (*) provisions in each division allow the so-called “older but lighter” player to also qualify. The last year of eligibility falls under more stringent weight restrictions, per above.
A child’s age on July 31 is his/her age for the season. A player may gain 1 pound per week after the second game, up to a maximum of 9 pounds.
Are there try-outs?
Pop Warner accepts all applicants (baring any medical reason they cannot play). A very important difference between Pop Warner and other football leagues is that players are NOT eliminated due to skill level. We accept the first thirty five players per division who complete their registration regardless of their playing experience and ability. Any players that complete their registration after a team is full is placed on a waiting list in sign up/registration completion date.
Is my child guaranteed playing time?
Upland Pop Warner is governed by the National Pop Warner rule whereby each football player MUST PLAY A MINIMUM number of plays based on how may players are on a team, either 6, 8 or 10 plays. Each Upland Pop Warner coach has been instructed regarding the rule and each coach must comply with this rule or face possible suspension/removal from the organization.
Mt. Baldy conference will play under the National Rules Sliding Scale Mandatory Play Rule. The sliding scale is as followed:
16-25 eligible players 10 plays minimum
26-30 eligible players 8 plays minimum
31-35 eligible players 6 plays minimum
The Tiny Mite; Junior Mighty Mite and Mighty Mite Division sliding scale is as followed:
16-25 eligible players 10 plays minimum
26-35 eligible players 8 plays minimum
Eligible players are those that will play in that weeks games excluding injured, suspended, or disciplined players.
Kick Offs, Kick Off Returns; Penalties and Extra Point Attempts do not count towards the minimum play rule
What happens if our plans change — can we get a refund?
Refund Policy: We reserve the right to refuse refunds. All requests must be made in writing, and received by July 31, 2017. Once the child takes the field for practice August 1st there will be NO REFUNDS, unless the child is removed due to not making weight prior to certification, a refund may be issued. All refunds must be approved by the Executive Board.
ALL 2017 REFUND REQUESTS MUST BE SUMBITTED IN WRITING AND EMAILED TO:
Is Youth Football Safe?
If your child wants to play football, but a parent has some fear of injury, here are some facts you should know about youth Football:
- The injury rate in Pop Warner Football is:
- Less than one-third the injury rate in high school football
- Less than one-fifth the injury rate in college football
- Less than one-ninth the injury rate in professional football
- Pop Warner’s age-weight schematic protects younger, lighter players, who do not have higher injury rates.
- Organized football among 5 – 15 year-olds has 12% fewer injuries per capita than organized soccer in the same age range.
- Organized football among 5 – 15 year-olds has 50% fewer injuries per capita than bicycle riding in the same age range.
- Organized football among 5 – 15 year-olds has 74% fewer injuries per capita than skateboarding in the same age group.
- Injuries in youth football are normally mild, and older players have a higher injury rate than younger players.
Click here to see study completed by Mayo Clinic on Youth Sports Injuries titled "Will my Child get Hurt?".
Please consider this carefully when deciding if your child should play Pop Warner Football or not.
If you would like to be on our emailing list so that you receive important notifications from Upland Pop Warner, just click on "JOIN OUR E-MAIL LIST" located on the left side of of welcome page under the main menu. You will then receive information such as schedule changes, cancellations, special events, etc. We will also use this list to notify you about sign-ups each season.
