WELCOME TO PV MAVERICKS CHEER!
Palos Verdes Mavericks is a part of Pop Warner Little Scholars, one of the oldest and largest youth organizations and the only youth football, cheerleading & dance organization that requires its participants to maintain academic standards in order to participate. Our association is part of the Southern California Conference (SCC) which includes teams in the LA and Ventura Counties. SCC is in turn part of Wescon Pop Warner which encompasses Arizona, Hawai'i, Southern California and Southern Nevada. Our participants range in age from 5 to 16. Teams are assigned based on the participants age as of 7/31/25. Coach and friend requests are accommodated where space is available, but not guaranteed. Our Pop Warner region includes the following cities: Rancho Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Rolling Hills Estates, Rolling Hills, Palos Verdes Estates, and part of Harbor City. If you register from outside this region, your participation will be pending on a waiver from your assigned Pop Warner association and as space allows. Priority will be given to the participants within our boundaries
COMMITMENTquires a significant commitment from the participant as well as the parents. Cheer Squads require knowledgeable and well conditioned participants for the entire squad to succeed. If your child is not participating in practices, they will not be effective or safe in the team environment.
Pop Warner Cheer Season : For all purposes, the Pop Warner Cheer & Dance season shall be defined as August 1 through July 31 every year. All-Star and other Recreational Cheer & Dance team participation is not permitted during the Pop Warner season.
PRACTICES:
Mandatory practice begins August 1st. Practice Days, Times and Fields are set by Team Head Coach.
Every cheerleader MUST finish 10 hours of conditioning practice before they go to Cheer Camp (8/16-17/2025).
Practice Before the Labor Day: ALL TEAMS : No more than 10 hours per week and not longer than 2 1/2hours per day
After the Labor Day: Tiny Mite (Flaggies) - No more than 4 hours per week and not longer than 2 hours per day
Mitey Mite - Varsity - No more than 6 hours per week and not longer than 2 hours per day
GAME DAY
Cheer Squads are assigned to a Tackle team which have games on Saturday's. Palos Verdes Youth Football & Cheer's home fields for games are either at Palos Verdes or Peninsula High Schools. Although our home fields are local, Palos Verdes Youth Football & Cheer is part of the Southern California Conference (SCC) of Pop Warner and requires our Cheer Squads to travel with the tackle teams to other city sites of other SCC Associations to opponents in their respective divisions. Game times are normally scheduled from youngest teams playing earliest (8:00am or 9:00am) and the oldest finishing out the day. The game schedule is created by SCC and is typically released the last week of August.
Note: Most squads arrive at least one hour prior to game start to warm up and do run through.
CHEER SAFETY
Below are some tips compiled by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association that help reduce cheerleader injuries at all levels:
- Proper Conditioning: Physically prepare and maintain your body’s strength, flexibility, and stamina for stunting and tumbling. Strengthen your core muscles (abdominal and lower back muscles) along with the upper and lower body and include aerobic (running, jogging, cycling, swimming) and anaerobic (wind sprints, circuit training) activities.
- Exercise Reminders: Warm up, stretch and cool down for every practice or competition and be sure to rest.
Proper Equipment: Practice on mats or padded flooring until your routines are perfected. Make sure the mats are adequately sized and sufficient for the activities you’re performing.
Spotting: Have trained spotters present and engaged at all times
Knowledgeable Coaches: Make sure your coaches are certified in safety, first aid, CPR and AED use.
No Horseplay: Focus at all times during stunting and tumbling activities.
Communication: Request that your coaches review safety precautions, rules and regulations with the squad on a regular basis, and that they establish and implement an emergency action plan.
Read Safety Guidelines: Ask your coaches to be familiar with the latest Pop Warner Rules Book, YCADA (Youth Cheer and Dance Alliance) safety guidelines and participate in the ASEP (American Sport Education Program) Coaches Online Education Training for basics in cheerleading principles;
Know Your Limits: Be aware of your ability level and do not attempt advanced level gymnastic or stunting skills before mastering less advanced skills. Always have a supervisor present.
Treatment of Injuries: Promptly attend to any injuries you sustain. Your school or organization’s athletic trainer can assist in the proper treatment and prevention of such injuries. He or she can also offer an injury prevention education seminar and assist in creating the conditioning routine.
CPR & FIRST AID CERTIFICATION
Pop Warner rules require that “All practices must be attended by one person holding a Red Cross Community CPR and a First Aid certification OR National Center for Sports Safety PREPARE Certificate of Completion, or equivalent, if not by an EMT or volunteer physician.” In the absence of a specialized, trained person affiliated with the team in the medical area (physician, paramedic, specially trained volunteer, Certified Athletic Trainer), Palos Verdes Youth Football & Cheer requires the Head Coach as well as an Assistant Coach to be the holders of a current Red Cross Certificate in Community CPR and First Aid, or the P.R.E.P.A.R.E. Course by the National Center for Sport Safety or its equivalent.
INJURY PREVENTION
A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury, or TBI, caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head that can change the way your brain normally works. Concussions can also occur from a fall or a blow to the body that causes the head and brain to move quickly back and forth. Health care professionals may describe a concussion as a “mild” brain injury because concussions are usually not life-threatening. Even so, their effects can be serious. Any participant that has had an injury at practice play or competition due to a head injury or suspected concussion may NOT return to his/her team/squad until the participant has been evaluated by a currently licensed medical professional trained in the evaluation and management of concussions and receives written clearance to return to play from the licensed practioner. Palos Verdes Youth Football and Cheer with Pop Warner recommends that all decisions be made in the best interest of the children and that when any doubt exists as to the health of the participant, they sit out.
MANDATORY BACKGROUND CHECKS
PVYF&C is concerned about the safety of our participants and does not want to put any of our participants in harms way. ALL coaches and badged personnel are required to be LiveScanned in order to be on the field with our players, for the safety of our participants. Those that have not submitted to a LiveScan background check are NOT allowed to be on the field at practices or games, at all, ever, NO EXCEPTIONS.
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