Cary Pop Warner offers flag football for ages 5-7 and tackle football for ages 5-15, depending on weight. The age is the participant’s age on July 31 of this calendar year. There are no tryouts. Participants are placed on teams on a first-come, first-served basis as space permits.

Cary Pop Warner is not part of Cary Parks and Recreation, and participation is not limited to Cary residents.

Tackle football players are placed in divisions based on the Pop Warner Little Scholars age and weight requirements. Following are the 2010 age and weight requirements for National Pop Warner:

There is no weight limit for flag football participants.

The Flag, Tiny Mite and Mitey Mite divisions are considered noncompetitive. However, all three divisions conclude their season with “bowl” games against other Consolidated Football Federation (CFF) associations.

Weigh-Ins for Tackle Football Participants

Each tackle football player will be weighed at check-in sessions and again at the beginning of the season to determine and confirm division assignment.

Players must maintain the weight requirements throughout the season for their division. Players will be weighed prior to each game. The first week of the regular season players must weigh within the above weight range. Each subsequent week, the allowed weight will be increased by one pound. Players are weighed in their uniforms, minus their helmet. The following amounts are added to the maximum weight each week for equipment weight allowances: Tiny Mite and Mitey Mite: 7 lbs, Junior Pee and Pee Wee: 8 lbs, Junior Midget and Midget: 9 lbs.

Pop Warner Challenger Division

Challenger Division

The Challenger division is a Pop Warner football and cheer program for youth ages 5 to 18 with physical and/or developmental disabilities who are enrolled in school. The Challenger program provides a safe and structured environment for everyone to participate in the great game of football.

Rules are very similar to the rules for the Pop Warner flag football program.  The Challenger program is non-competitive and no score is kept.  Participants may play with a “buddy” who assists them with the ball and navigating the field.

Registration is now open for the 2011 Challenger division!  The season starts Saturday, September 10th and runs through October.  Registration is FREE!

Click here for our 2011 registration packet.  It includes FAQs, registration forms and physical form.

Want to see what all the excitement is about?  Then watch our slide show from the inaugural 2009 Challenger season. Click Here.

For more information you can e-mail us at challenger@cff-popwarner.com.

2011 Practice Information

The first day of practice will be Monday, August 1st. Your child must have their Green or White bracelets on to enter the practice fields.  The bracelets are being used to identify to the coaches players that have completed their paperwork.  If you do not have a bracelet you will not be allowed on the practice fields.  Coaches will not have bracelets at the fields if you have forgotten them.

Practices will begin promptly at 6:15 PM and end at 8:15 PM

Practice Schedule

Greenhope High School

Important: We strongly recommend that you sign up for the Cary Pop Warner Rained Out text messaging alert.  It may be raining at your house but not on the practice field, or vice versa. Sometimes the weather is clear but the fields are too wet to use. We do everything possible to hold practice, which may mean moving practice to an alternate facility when the practice fields are too wet. We post all practice cancellations and location changes on the Cary Pop Warner website in the Announcements section on the front page.  We will also make an effort to send out e-mail updates.  Sometimes decisions have to be made at the last minute, and we appreciate your flexibility when that’s the case.

What to Wear

Flag football participants should wear shorts, t-shirts and athletic shoes or cleats.

Tackle football participants should wear shorts, t-shirts and cleats. Do not wear football equipment until told to by your coach. After completing 10 hours of conditioning, players will begin wearing practice uniforms and full pads.

NO players are allowed to wear metal cleats or clear mouthpieces. Every participant should bring a water bottle to every practice.

Games

All regular-season games are scheduled to be played on Saturdays. The first date for regular-season games is Saturday, August 29. We typically do not receive the game schedule until a couple of days before the first scheduled game, and there are frequently changes made to the schedule immediately after that. We do not have any control over the schedule or when it is disseminated. We realize that this can be frustrating, but creating the schedule is very complex. We will let you know what the schedule is as soon as we get it from the Consolidated Football Federation (CFF). We do play games on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, so plan on being here. The regular season generally runs through October. The Flag, Tiny Mite and Mitey Mite divisions usually concludes its their season with an inter-league “bowl” game at the end of the season.

Teams in the Junior Pee Wee division and older are eligible to compete in post-season competition based on their win/loss record. Post-season competition may include regional and national championships and/or invitational bowls which can run through Thanksgiving or into December, if a team goes on to nationals. Each year, Cary Pop Warner has teams eligible to participate in post-season play.

Before the first regular-season game, there will be jamborees for flag and tackle football teams. The jamborees are usually held the weekend before the first regular-season game.

Equipment & Uniforms

Flag football players wear team t-shirts and black shorts during their games. Players are provided the team t-shirts by their coaches during practice. Players are responsible for providing their own shorts. Shorts worn by flag football players at games cannot have any pockets. Flag football players should wear athletic shoes or cleats, shorts and t-shirts to practice.

Tackle football participants will be provided all necessary equipment and practice/game uniforms, except cleats. Participants must be present at equipment distribution so equipment can be fitted. Tackle participants will be required to give a $255 deposit (by check), which will be returned (uncashed) when the equipment is returned at the end of the season in good condition.

Tackle football players do not wear any equipment for the first 10 hours of practice. Tackle coaches will let their players know when to start wearing equipment to practice. Until then, tackle football participants should wear cleats, shorts and t-shirts to practice.

The equipment distribution schedule will be released in the spring or early summer.

Equipment Maintenance

Mouthpieces

Mouthpiece Instructions

1. Place mouthpiece in mouth. If it is too long, cut the back edges with scissors so it is the right length.
2. Boil water. Place mouthpiece in water holding the end that attaches to helmet for 20 seconds or until mouthpiece goes limp.
3. Once limp, dip in cold water for one second.
4. Place in child’s mouth positioned tightly against upper teeth.
5. Have child to bite down for 10 seconds, sucking to pull the mouthpiece tightly against upper teeth.
6. Dip mouthpiece in cold water for 10 seconds.

If child bites a hole in it, then it was too soft. Ask your coach for another mouthpiece and repeat.

Mouthpiece Care

Wash mouthpieces once per week with soap and water.

Practice Pants

Wash practice pants only once per week (during weekend). Since pads are sewed inside the pants, make sure to fasten buckles before washing. To keep from messing up the pads, make sure to hang dry. Do not place in the dryer.

Shoulder Pads

Disinfect shoulder pads once per week with something similar to Lysol. Check wear and tear of shoulder pad strings once per week. If the string is about to break, please replace it.

Helmets

Disinfect helmets once per week with something similar to Lysol. Shine your helmets with pledge or similar agent before every game. We want to look sharp for games. Grease metal helmet snaps (not plastic snaps which will break down due to the grease) every two weeks with petroleum jelly. Mighty Mite parents, it is most important for you to do this. Check helmet screws to ensure they are all tight once per week. If loose, please tighten.

Equipment Problems

If you have an equipment problem, see your equipment manager first. If they can’t fix it, they will find a person who can.

Rules

The tackle football teams in the Consolidated Football Federation, including Cary Pop Warner, play within the rules of the Nationl Federation of State High School Athletic Associations and the N.C. High School Athletic Association. Professional officials, many of which officiate high shool games, are provided by the Consolidated Football Federation. Cary Pop Warner also follows the rules of Pop Warner Little Scholars. Pop Warner rules supersede high school rules when applicable. Note that the Consolidated Football Federation can enforce rules that are stricter than Pop Warner Little Scholars rules.

Flag football teams follow the Pop Warner Little Scholars rules.

Player Placement

Each season, football teams are reformed. All participants are evaluated during the first 5-8 days of practice and conditioning. Coaches then select their players to ensure that they have capable participants in all positions so that each team at each level can be competitive.

Coaches

Each football team has a head coach and up to five assistant coaches. In addition, the staff includes an equipment manager and a team parent, for a total of eight staff members. The commissioner of Cary Pop Warner must approve all coach selections.

To be considered for a coaching position, you must:

1. Complete the 2011 CPW Coaches Application,
2. Sign the 2011 CPW Code of Ethics, and
3. Complete the 2011 Pop Warner Little Scholars Volunteer Application.

A copy of your driver’s license must accompany the Pop Warner Little Scholars volunteer application. Cary Pop Warner will conduct a criminal background check on all applicants.

The head coaches are selected by the commissioner. The head coaches then select their assistant coaches from the pool of applications approved by the commissioner. Because of the limited number of rostered coaching positions, not everyone who submits a coach application gets to coach. However, many head coaches appreciate the extra assistance of parent helpers at practices. Talk to the head coach about this option if you are not selected as an assistant coach. Note that the Cary Booster Club does not award volunteer hours to parent helpers at practices. All rostered staff automatically receive the minimum required 15 volunteers.

All rostered staff must pass a criminal background check. All rostered coaches must hold current NYSCA football certification. Certification sessions are provided for those coaches who do not already have NYSCA football certification. Renewals can be done online. Each staff must also have someone with current first aid and CPR certification.

Middle School Participants

Cary Pop Warner recognizes that some participants may also want to try out for their school football team. The rules have changed recently; and they currently are that participants can only practice with a school team or a Pop Warner team, but not both simultaneously. If they are trying out for their school team they may not practice with the Pop Warner team until they are removed from the school team and show proof of removal.

We encourage middle school students to sign up for Cary Pop Warner even if they plan to try out for the school team. We close registration for Cary Pop Warner before most school teams make their cuts, so if your child is cut from the school team, it is likely we won’t be able to place him/her on a Cary Pop Warner team if you wait to register until after the cut. As part of the registration process, we do ask if your child is planning on trying out for a school team. This information does not negatively affect your child-it allows us to determine how many registrations we can take in that division, assuming a certain percentage makes the school team.

As you decide whether or not you want to play school ball, we hope you will take the following into consideration:

• At Cary Pop Warner, your child will participate on a squad of no more than 35 players. Most of our teams have approximately 25 players.
• At Cary Pop Warner, your child is guaranteed playing time in every game.
• Because Cary Pop Warner teams are almost always smaller than school teams, your child will receive more individualized instruction.
• We emphasize developing and strengthening fundamental skills.
• All Cary Pop Warner coaches are USA Football certified, and there is someone certified in first aid and CPR on each squad’s coaching roster.