Competitive Tackle Cheer - Ages 5-16 (Age as of July 31st)
Teams follow their assigned football team and perform on the sideline during games. Games are held within the San Diego, Imperial Valley, and Riverside County limits. All cheer teams are competitive and compete at multiple cheer competitions throughout the season. The competitive season may run through January 2026.
REGISTRATION FEES
Registration fees include:
- Loaner cheer uniform: shell, skirt, liner (shoes are not included)
- Multiple cheer bows each season
- Camp gear: one set of practice top, shorts, and socks
- Pink gear
- JAMZ cheerleading camp
- Team photo
- West Coast Conference Local Competition and Wescon Regional Competition fees
- Winter gym rental fees
- Local fees for field usage, lights, referees, medics, and insurance
*Registration fees do not cover hotel accommodations, travel costs, or non-Pop Warner competition fees.
REQUIRED PURCHASE (not included in registration fees): Cheerleading shoes (style Head Coach discretion)
Optional Purchases: Team Backpack, Team Jacket
PRACTICES AND GAMES
The Pop Warner season officially begins July 15th. Games begin at the end of August and are played every Saturday throughout San Diego County and into the Temecula/Murrieta area. Home games are held at Valley Center High School. While football games end in November, the cheer season may run until January if your child’s squad qualifies to compete at Regional and National cheer competitions.
Head coaches determine the exact practice times and will vary according to the coach's schedule and availability of facilities.
- Tiny Mite team typically practices 2 times per week for an hour and a half, and when school starts, they drop down to an hour each practice. Practice hours can be held between the hours of 4:30-6:30 pm. Practices are normally held at the fields behind Valley Center Elementary on School Bus Lane. Teams move indoors after football games end as teams continue their competition season.
- Older teams (Mitey Mite and above) typically practice 3-4 days per week for 2-2 ½ hours, and when school starts, they drop down to 2-3 days per week. Practice hours can be held between the hours of 4:30-8:00 pm. Practices are normally held at the fields behind Valley Center Elementary on School Bus Lane. Teams move indoors after football games end as teams continue their competition season.
ALL PRACTICES AND GAMES ARE MANDATORY
Due to the nature of the sport, a practice missed by one cheerleader has a significant impact on the squad, particularly on that cheerleader’s stunt group, who are unable to stunt without every member present. Cheerleading is a unique sport in which each athlete’s safety is dependent upon teamwork, trust, and responsibility of the whole squad.
As a result, attendance at all practices and games are mandatory. Please try to schedule your family vacations prior to the season start.
COMPETITIONS
Cheerleading competitions are an exciting experience for the athletes and the culmination of their cheer season! It is amazing to see how much the cheerleaders have learned since mid-July. Cheer Competition Season starts in mid-October and may run through January. Competitions are not optional for individuals. All cheerleaders are required to attend as a team. At a typical cheerleading competition, teams perform 1-2 routines that include stunts, jumps, tumbling and dance. Teams are judged by a panel of cheerleading experts on difficulty and execution. Winners are announced in each division.
Every VCPW Cheer team will compete at the Local WCC Cheer Competition at the San Diego Convention Center. All teams have the opportunity to advance to WESCON Regionals or JAMZ Championships in Anaheim, and Pop Warner National Championships in Charlotte, NC or JAMZ Nationals in Las Vegas, NV! See “Important Dates” for details.
COACHING OPPORTUNITIES
Hey Mom or Dad – YOU TOO, CAN COACH A YOUTH CHEER TEAM!
VCPW is a 100% volunteer run organization. Enthusiastic and positive volunteers are needed each season to coach. Coaching cheerleading can be a tremendously rewarding experience. Teams cannot exist or be successful if there are not enough coach volunteers. Family volunteers who have a player in the program will be assigned to their child’s team, however you are not required to have a player in the program. HEAD COACHES AND ASSISTANT COACHES are needed for the 2025 season!! Please email [email protected] to apply!
CHEER POSITIONS
Base - I support the weight of many and I am TOUGH. I am the BASE of the stunt, the foundation. My flyer puts her trust in my hands so that I may propel her toward the sky. I toss, extend, twist, and pop her up. MOST IMPORTANTLY- I catch her! I am the POWERHOUSE of the stunt!
Backspot – I am the LEADER who counts the stunts and has an eye for detail. I’m the one who pushes up and reaches out for the flyer. I stand tall and protect my flyer from injury. I am the safety officer, the one to trust, the ONLY ONE TO TALK in the stunt group… I am the quarterback!
Frontspot - I am the muscle that you don’t realize! I help control the stunt from the front. I use my strength and skills to be a second grip for the bases. I am the roots that help STABILIZE the stunt. I turn, catch my flyer, and give additional security to any stunt or pyramid! My help can MAKE THE DIFFERENCE of a stunt falling or staying up!
Flyer - I am the one that must trust my stunt group to catch and protect me. I get thrown in the AIR! I use my FLEXIBILITY and must conquer my fears. I must stand tall and smile without tears. I am the one who holds the pressure of a stunt fall in our routine. Everyone usually wants to FLY; however, the pressure is so great, it’s like kicking the winning field goal in the Super Bowl. I do my best to make my stunt group PROUD!
It takes the entire stunt group to put up a stunt, it takes all to drop a stunt or to make it hit, and one ounce of doubt to make it come down!