Frequently Asked Questions
+ How can parents get involved? (1)We need all of the help we can get to make this season as rewarding for our children as possible and are actively seeking coaches, fundraising directors, team moms, team managers, business managers and more. Please e-mail us at info@lajollapopwarner.org. + Do we live within the boundaries to be eligible to play in the La Jolla Pop Warner League? (2)Participants from the La Jolla area and the surrounding communities of University City, Bay Park, Clairemont, Pacific Beach, Linda Vista, and other areas are welcome to join La Jolla Pop Warner. The only restriction being that if you have a Pop Warner program that plays their home games in the Zip Code in which you live, a waiver would need to be obtained from that program in order to participate with La Jolla Pop Warner. The two programs currently operating nearby are Torrey Pines Pop Warner (92130), and Tierrasanta Pop Warner (92124). You can check all the Pop Warner Programs within San Diego County by visiting www.sandiegopopwarner.org/ or www.palomarpopwarner.org/. + Registration, what do I need to bring to get my child registered? (3)1) Your child + What if I’m not sure I want to play Pop Warner football right now, can I register later or can I get a refund if I register now? (4)We encourage all participants to register as early as possible. Roster sizes for all tackle teams are limited to 35 players. After the first 30 players sign-up we will begin the wait list for that particular team. We do this to ensure that players who may gain or lose weight leading up to the season can be moved up or down as is necessary. Prior to Equipment check-out day, typically in mid July, all rosters will be filled with any wait list players, up to the 35 player maximum. Anyone still remaining on the wait list will be contacted as soon as a position is vacated on the roster. + What are the fees? (5)The fees you pay will cover insurance, field lighting, referee fees, operational expenses, local and national league fees, a spirit pack (T-Shirt and shorts), helmet, pads, practice pants, practice jersey, game uniforms including game socks, belt and basic photo package. Your children may keep the spirit pack and game jersey, but all other equipment must be returned at the end of the season. + Will I be asked to purchase additional items during the season? (6)Some teams or squads may choose to design their own t-shirt or hat and you may be asked to purchase those, though these are handled at a team level and are not mandatory. Also there will be jackets, hats, etc. available for separate purchase; these are not required to participate in LJPW. We will also have photo day and you will be able to purchase photos if you choose. + Will players need physicals? (7)Yes, each player must submit to La Jolla Pop Warner a completed original physical examination form on the official Pop Warner form signed by a physician prior to participating in any LJPW practices. Plan to have your child's Player Physical paperwork available by July 17th. + Why do you need a copy of their birth certificate? (8)The Pop Warner youth football system matches players on teams of similar ages and weight for safety reasons. Therefore, players from all teams nationwide must submit proof of age. The team Business Manager will maintain a Certification Book with copies of each player's birth certificates and other paperwork which are verified prior to each game by the opposing team. + Why do we have to submit school report cards? (9)Pop Warner Little Scholars considers school more important than football and cheer. Thus, participants must submit proof that they are performing well enough academically that participation in LJPW will not interfere with their grades. High academic achievement is rewarded in the "Pop Warner Little Scholars" program. The report card required to be submitted is the year-end report card (the report card must show grades for the full academic year) that most players will receive at the end of the school year. Most school offices close one or two weeks after the end of the school session. + How is weight determined? (10)At the in-person registration, we will attempt to place your player in the appropriate division based on age and weight. While we will initially use the player's weight from registration, all players nationwide are weighed during "Certification Day" by a Conference official in August. San Diego Conference will weigh every player from each team. This will be the players's certified weight on the roster. Each player is weighed before each game to make sure only players of equivalent weights are competing. If your player happens to fall on or slightly below the minimum weight or above the maximum weight range for their age, but is not eligible to move to the next level team for any reason, they do assume the risk of working all of August and not "making weight". Set your weight goals early in the summer if this applies to your player. + What if my player cannot make it to Certification Day or doesn't make weight at Certification? (11)If your player is not at Certification Day, the player will be removed from the roster and will not be able to practice or participate with the team until they have gone to the make up certification day. + Can any kid play contact football? (12)Football is a team game, rewarding players with self-esteem, confidence, an ability to work together, and better physical health. "Heart" and desire are the most important factors in a player's success. Most children that participate come away with a love of the game, however, it is not for everyone so you should talk with your child frequently during the season to make sure football is for them. + My child is new to football. What should we expect? (13)The physical conditioning and commitment are more intense than any other sport. To help prevent injuries, we suggest that all players begin conditioning several weeks prior to the beginning of practice in August. Prior to August, running, push-ups, and sit-ups at least every other day will help make your son's first few weeks in football less demanding. We will post camps and other opportunities on our home page that are a great primer for the season. + How many days a week will there be practice and where will they be held? (14)Practices begin on August 1, 2013. For flag teams, during the month of August your child will practice three days a week. For tackle teams, during the month of August your child will practice four days a week (Monday-Thursday), two and one-half hours per day. The actual days and times for flag and tackle practices are set by the head coach of each team after the teams have been formed, but most often, the practices are from 5-7:45 pm. It is highly recommended that your child attend all conditioning practices during that period of time. Players are required to complete 10 hours of conditioning before they are allowed to participate in contact drills/scrimmages. In September, practices will be cut down to three days a week, plus one game every Saturday. All practices and home games will be played at the La Jolla Country Day School Football Field. + What about the family vacation we normally take in August? (15)We at La Jolla Pop Warner understand that family events take precedence over most things, including football and cheerleading. Participants will not be punished, in any way, for excused absences. We only ask that the head coach is notified of any instances where a player will miss a practice or a game. Parents and players should realize that missing significant amounts of practice time may inhibit the player's abilities, limit their knowledge, and affect the team as a whole. Players who miss both weight certification dates may be dropped from the roster. + When do games begin and how do we find out the game schedule? (16)Scrimmages will occur the last 2 weeks of August with a full pre-season game Labor Day weekend. The regular season typically begins the first weekend after Labor Day. Once teams have been formed by the various associations, Conference will prepare schedules and give them to us. When we receive them, we will post them on our web site under each team's home page. In our experience, the schedules will be made available to us sometime in mid-August. + In what division should I register my child? (17)That will depend on the player's age on 7/31 and his current weight. It is our policy that new players are placed in the lowest division possible based on age and weight. Please click here to see the Age and Weight Tables. + How long will the season last? (18)The season officially begins August 1, 2013 and will continue until the end of October for Flag and for Tackle. Depending on the team's record and league-wide participation, post-season can last through mid- to late November. If your child's team or squad enters regional and/or national championships your season may last a few weeks longer. Post-season bowl games are also a possibility and these occur over Thanksgiving and in early December. SDPW hosts the Paradise Bowl in early December and the Pop Warner National Championship is in Orlando in early December. + Will we be required to do any traveling? (19)Yes. The other teams in the San Diego Conference are Mt Helix Running Rebels, Alpine Mountaineers, Santee Ravens, South San Diego Jaguars, Tierrasanta Cougars, Valencia Park Hornets, National City Diablos, Coronado Islanders, Lakeside Longhorns, Rancho San Diego Norseman, Point Loma Pointers and the San Carlos Patriots. About half of our games will be home and half away. The schedule will list the locations of each game and the web site has links to maps and driving directions. Parents have been very good in the past at forming carpools and sharing rides. + Is it possible that our team will participate in tournaments or championship games out of town? (20)Yes, it is possible. If your child's team goes to the National Championship games they will be required to travel to Orlando, Florida for tournaments. If your team participates in any tournaments or out-of-town playoff games, your team will need to raise the funds needed to travel to the games, including to Orlando for the Championships. + How can I volunteer to help? (21)All LJPW teams will require help with coaching, equipment, mandatory play records, business managers, team parent, chain-gangs, score keeping, field prep and maintenance. Anyone interested in volunteering should contact volunteer@lajollapopwarner.org for more information and an application. |
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