COMMITMENTTackle Football is unlike any other youth team sport which requires a significant commitment from the participant as well as the parents. The football games require knowledgeable and well conditioned participants for the entire team to succeed. If your child is not participating in practices, they will not be effective in the team environment.
PRACTICE
Mandatory practice begins August 1st. August practices are 5 days per week, 2 1/2 hours per day, which reduce to 3 days per week, 2 hours per day after Labor Day.
The first week of practice is non-contact. Each player is required to fulfill a 10 hour conditioning requirement before any contact can be initiated. The second week is in full pads, an additional 10 hours of practice is required before a team may engage in inter-squad scrimmages. The time allocated to practice does not include break time. Water breaks are given as needed when requested by the participants.
GAME DAY
Tackle games are held on Saturdays. Our home fields are either at Palos Verdes or Peninsula High Schools. Game times are normally scheduled from youngest teams playing earliest (8:00am or 9:00am) and the oldest finishing out the day. Because we are a Southern California Conference (SCC) Pop Warner Association, away games may be scheduled at any of the participating associations in SCC.
Note: Most teams arrive at least one hour prior to game start to warm up, have equipment checked and have weigh-ins (when applies) and do run throughs but arrival time is directed by the head coach and/or team manager.
POP WARNER - SAFETY FIRST:
Pop Warner places value on safety measures that make a difference. That’s why PV Football & Cheer is a member association of Pop Warner. Pop Warner has reduced contact to 25% of practice time, eliminated kickoffs for our youngest divisions and require that any player who suffers a suspected head injury receive medical clearance from a concussion specialist before returning to play.
Our association offers and age/weight matrix through 11 years old. This allows for instructional football to take place and build upon skills and knowledge as players prepare for high school football. Our upper divisions are age based for 12 and bigger 11 year old and 13 and 14 year olds.