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LCCPW General FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Who can participate in Pop Warner?
Boys and girls ages 6-15, in good
academic standing (that is a minimum 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale) can participate
in tackle football or cheerleading. Youth ages 6-7 can participate in flag football.
Similar age youth with physical or mental disabilities that would not allow
them to play on a tackle football team or cheer squad can participate in Pop Warner's
Challenger program.
Who can participate in LCCPW?
In North San Diego County, Pop Warner associations follow school district
boundaries. The LCCPW boundaries follow the San Dieguito Union High School
District area serving La Costa Canyon High School. That includes the communities
of Cardiff, Encinitas, La Costa, Leucadia, Olivenhain, northern Rancho Santa Fe
and adjacent areas. All elementary schools in the Encinitas Union School
District or the Cardiff school district are in the LCCPW area. Participants from
outsides those general areas must receive a waiver from their "home" association
to play in LCCPW. Associations adjacent to LCCPW are Carlsbad (North), San
Marcos (East) and Torrey Pines (South). If you are unsure about the association
you are in, contact LCCPW at
questions@lccpw.org.
What happened to San Dieguito Pop Warner?
LCCPW is San Dieguito Pop Warner. The Association changed its name to La Costa
Canyon Pop Warner in 2007. There were several reasons: the service area was now
anchored by La Costa Canyon H.S. as San Dieguito Academy (SDA, formerly San
Dieguito H.S.) became a choice school; San Dieguito no longer had a football
team; our new home stadium became La Costa Canyon High School. In 2007 we also
changed our team colors to Navy Blue, Vegas Gold and Forest Green, the same as
LCCHS.
What is the time commitment during the season
From Aug. 1 to Aug. 30 tackle football
teams practice every weekday during August although a Saturday
scrimmage may be arranged. After Labor Day (Sep. 1) teams practice 3 days per week and play games on Saturdays.
When does the Pop Warner season begin and end?
In 2008 the season begins August 1 for tackle and flag
football, and for cheerleading. Each group concludes on different dates.
Tackle Football
The regular season ends Nov. 8. However, some teams can go to
Dec. 13 if they advance in regional and national playoffs; or
if teams decide to play at invitational bowls in places such as Hawai'i, Nevada
or Arizona. In a normal season tackle teams play 10 games.
Cheer squads Cheer squads follow the season of the
football team they
are associated with through the regional playoffs. The cheer squads also
have a regional championship on Nov. 28, 29 and 30 and
nationals are Dec. 8-12. In addition, at the end of
the season a cheer squad may elect
to convert to a year-round program by a majority vote of the participants. In 2007-08 the Midget Maverick Cheerleaders decided to remain a year-round program,
winning the JAMZ National Championship for an Intermediate Large Division Squad
in early 2008.
Flag football The season ends Sat., Oct. 18 with the Flag Fest.
What age/weight group does my child play in?
Please refer to the age/weight chart to find
out which group(s) a participant qualifies for in Pop Warner. Generally, most
youth qualify for more than one level. However, LCCPW and Pop Warner
strongly recommend playing at the lowest possible
level for their projected age/weight on August 1.
EExample: On March 10 Johnny is 10 years old and weighs 80
pounds. His birthday is July 1. Johnny will likely gain another 3-5 pounds by
August 1 and under Pop Warner rules he will be 11 years old as his birthday is
on or before July 31. Therefore, Johnny qualifies to play either as an
'Older/Lighter' player in Jr. Pee Wee or as a regular player in Pee Wee or Jr.
Midget. It is in the participant's best interest to play at the
lowest
level, in this case Jr. Pee Wee. Further, Pop Warner and Palomar Conference
rules require parents sign a waiver if they want to place a child at any other
than the lowest possible level for which they qualify.
Where do LCCPW teams practice?
LCCPW teams practice during weekdays on fields
stretching from Earl Warren Middle School in Solana Beach, in multiple locations
in Encinitas, and up to La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad. Practice space
in the North County Coastal communities is extremely limited and expensive.
Where do LCCPW teams play home games?
LLCCPW home games are played at La Costa Canyon High School and Oak Crest
Middle School. Generally Mitey Mite games are played at Oak Crest because the
smaller players put less wear-and-tear on that heavily trafficked field.
Why is Pop Warner so expensive?
Expense is relative. Compared to most recreational sports there is significantly
more participation time and equipment provided to the participant. Tackle football athletes and cheerleaders are
supervised in LCCPW programs for almost 700 hours of practice and game time
during a regular season.
Nearly all equipment is provided too. The cost of field time for practices and
games in this area, and for equipment makes up most of the registration cost. Every coach and board member in LCCPW is a
volunteer. Without our additional fundraising efforts, we would lose money on
each participant who signs up for LCCPW.
Why don't teams have a set schedule after
mid-October?
Palomar Conference can only schedule
games through mid-October because that is when division playoffs begin. The
conference then must determine field availability based on the next week's
playoff pairings, so all games must be scheduled week to week.
All teams not in playoffs have games
against similar-strength opponents through Sat., Nov. 8. After that date games
are only played as "invitational" or as part of a regional/national playoff
bracket.
How are teams selected?
For cheerleading, flag football and Mitey Mite/Jr. Mitey Mite tackle football,
teams are balanced out based on experience. Generally, unless otherwise
requested, sisters can join a cheer squad if a sibling is on the tackle team
associated with the cheer squad. In the four tackle football age/weight classes that Pop Warner defines as “competitive”
- Junior Pee Wee, Pee Wee, Junior Midget and Midget - LCCPW has adopted a
Modified Draft method for selecting players in 2008. Within each age/weight
class there is normally a Division I (D1) and one or more Divsion II (D2) teams.
What are Division I (D1) and Division II (D2)
teams?
D1 teams are selected by the D1 head coach to field the most competitive team
possible based on an evaluation of the player's athletic skills, experience in
football and other factors. Once the D1 team is selected the D2 team(s) are
selected by the D2 head coach(es) and the league's player-agent to create
balanced D2 teams. D2 is designed to advance the football skills and experience
of players. Can I request my child play on a
specific team, for a coach, in D1/D2, or with child?
No. The only requests automatically granted are for siblings playing on the same
team. Any other request must be approved by the Player-Agent AND the LCCPW Board
of Directors. Only in rare and exceptional cases will requests be granted. (For
further details please see the Modified Draft FAQ.)
Why is it called a Modified Draft?
A draft chooses players without any
restrictions, and all players would be drafted at every level. LCCPW modified
the draft process in an attempt to keep D2 players tracking together with
existing coaches where possible. If a player is not selected for a D1 team, and
the player’s coach from the previous year is a D2 coach at the same age/weight
class as the player, then the player will be assigned to that D2 coach. There
will also be an attempt to balance the skills of the D2 teams. Hence the name
Modified Draft.
For more details about the Modified Draft, please go to the
Modified Draft
Questions still not answered by the General FAQs? Send your inquiries to
questions@lccpw.org.
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