Pop Warner vs. San Tan

I have had this question asked of me many times, so I wanted to put it out there for everyone to see. Many people know that our family is a big supporter of the Pop Warner Football league, so I can tell you what I know and love about that program. Unfortunately, we have not participated in San Tan, so I only know what I've heard about their program; I can't give you any details about them...Sorry. If you want to ask someone who does know, I can direct you to a number of people who enjoy playing in that league, just ask. As for Pop Warner, here are some benefits in no particular order:

1. Secondary Insurance. We have an insurance plan that will cover what your medical insurance does not cover, in the event that your child is hurt while at practice or games, it also covers anyone attending the game, should they be injured.

2. We attempt to place the children on teams with kids from their neighborhoods, so that the teams are created as equally and competitively as possible. They are put in divisions based on a weight/age matrix that is nationally created.

Skylar played Mightey-Mite this year as a Longhorn.

3. (This is one of my favorite benefits) We are the only youth organization that I know of that rewards kids for good grades. You are required to provide last year's full report card so that we can verify that your child is academically succeeding. For example, we will add up their math, reading, science, etc. grades and divide them to find an average. As long as your child's average is over 70%, nothing more is required and your child is eligible. If it is below 70%, we will work with you, your student athlete, and the child's teacher to improve those grades if we can. At an average of 90% and higher, your child will be invited to our scholar night awards program. They will receive a certificate and be eligible for a raffle with some excellent prizes. As the children get older, and also those with averages higher than 96%, they are eligible for more scholar recognition on a local, state, and national level. For example, my Drew won an Honorable Mention for his good grades on a national level. He received a certificate in the mail and a free one year subscription to Sports Illustrated kids edition. (This is his second year and he is so excited about it). Other kids in the past have won actual cash scholarships.Drew is a nationally recognized student athlete.

4. All equipment is provided except cleats, girdle, and practice pants. Our equipment is safety certified on a regular basis.

5. We have AIA referees for all games. The same refs that do the high school kids on Friday night will be our refs on Saturday.

6. We have mandatory play time during the game. This means each child gets the opportunity to play during the actual game.

7. Pop Warner is a not for profit league. This means that those who coach, work the snack bar, or serve on the board are not paid. It is run strictly by volunteers. This means to me, that you have people volunteering who really just want to be there, they are there for no other reason. If you would like to see a breakdown of where the money is spent, I'll be happy to provide you one.

8. We have a wonderful competetive cheer program. Our cheer directors have cheer and stunting backgrounds and the girls have the opportunity to prepare a dance/cheer routine and compete against other squads in the valley. Last year my Hornets were robbed of their chance to compete nationally, but they are that good!! All girls who sign up get to participate, regardless of experience and ability. We love our cheerleaders!!!

9. We have qualified our staff to coach the kids. There is someone on each staff who is First Aid/CPR certified, each coach and usually one assistant has attended a risk management coaching clinic, where the focus isn't so much about what goes on on the field as what goes on off the field. They also attend a coaching clinic where they learn safety in drills, specifically for youth players.

10. Our league participates in a philanthropic effort each year. Our assocation has chosen the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. We raise money to support cancer research because everyone knows someone who has been affected. We aren't just coaching student athletes, we are coaching our future. For more info on that, see http://main.acsevents.org/goto/hornets4relay

That is all I can think of off the top of my head, but if you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. I can tell you that this is our 10th year of Pop Warner, we started when Vance was in 1st grade. This will be my 4th year on the board and Ben's 3rd year. We love it. If you have more questions, please refer to the league website: http://www.eteamz.com/qcpw or come check out the Hornets at http://gotsting.com/