When is registration for the 2009 season?
Registration is from April 15, 2008 to July 6, 2009. However, because teams fill up quickly, it is recommended that you register as soon as possible.

How do I register my child?
Registration is done exclusively online. You can pay by credit card or mail a check.

When should my child begin playing tackle football?
Most players begin playing tackle football in the fourth grade, but a substantial number start in third grade. Mitey Mite teams usually consist of a mix of third and fourth graders (the majority being fourth graders).

When does practice start?
The national start date for Pop Warner practices is August 3, 2009. All Pop Warner teams start on this date. This allows the teams roughly four weeks of practice before their first game, which will be Labor Day weekend.

The first week of practice will be every week day, for two hours per day, and will consist of conditioning drills only. For these practices, players wear shorts, t-shirts, helmets, and cleats.

Contact practices in full pads will begin the second week.

Our family will be out of town in early August and won’t be back until after practices begin on August 1. What do we do?
Players are strongly encouraged to change any plans that interfere with the August 3 practice start date. Because players are not allowed to participate in contact practices until they have done a week of conditioning drills, players who show up after the August 3 start date have to do conditioning drills while the rest of the team is doing contact drills. Late-arriving players therefore get behind and miss out on what the rest of the team is learning. This creates a major inconvenience for the coaches and likely will put your player at a disadvantage.

Ideally, your son will be able to participate in a pre-season football camp in late July, and then be ready to start practice on August 3.

How many practices are there per week?
Until school starts, teams will practice every weekday for two hours per day. Once school starts, teams will practice three days a week for two hours per day.

Where will practices be?
Practice locations depend on which team your son is assigned to. We hope to form teams in the following geographical areas: Central (O. Henry Middle School), Southwest (Small Middle School), and Northwest (Murchison Middle School). Players will be assigned to the nearest area team that is appropriate for their level.

Which pre-season football camps does West Austin Pop Warner recommend?
West Austin Pop Warner will host a pre-season camp at O.Henry Middle School from July 27-30. The camp is an excellent way for your player to get in shape, learn football fundamentals, and get ready for the season. Download the WAPW Football Camp 2009 Flier.

We also recommend that players attend the July 13-16 camp that Austin High’s coach (Coach Williams) is hosting for youth players. Details regarding Coach Williams’ camp can be downloaded here.

When do games begin and on what days are games played?
Games are played on Saturdays and begin Labor Day weekend. The last regular season game likely will be in mid-November. Mitey-Mite teams do not participate in playoffs, but may play an end-of-season bowl game. Junior Pee Wee and Pee Wee teams will participate in the playoffs if they win enough games.

Games are scheduled without regard to the University of Texas football schedule.

What teams do West Austin Pop Warner teams play?
West Austin Pop Warner plays other Pop Warner teams in the Austin and Central Texas Area. Frequent opponents are Westlake, East Austin, South Austin, Northwest Austin, Southwest Austin, Northeast Austin, Georgetown, Round Rock, and Taylor.

What do I need to do about equipment?
West Austin Pop Warner will host equipment sessions at least twice before the season begins (see this website for details). Sporting goods store representatives will be present to take helmet orders and to sell other equipment.

You will need to purchase a WHITE helmet, shoulder pads, football pants, cleats, and a practice jersey.

If you are unable to attend one of the equipment sessions, you will need to purchase equipment on your own.

See the equipment diagram on this website for further details.

I have heard that Pop Warner football is safer than many other tackle football programs because Pop Warner has weight limits. Is that true?
Yes. Per national Pop Warner rules, players must be under a certain weight. If they are over the designated weight limit for their age, they must “play up” and be on a team of older players. This is a safety issue and is strictly enforced. Players are weighed at the beginning of the season and also before every game.

Players who are under the designated weight for their age likewise may “play down” and be on a team of younger players.

See the age/weight chart on this website for further details regarding the appropriate team level for your child.

If my child’s age and weight qualify him for multiple Pop Warner team levels, which level should he play?
We recommend that your child play on the lowest level team that he qualifies for. However, there may be exceptions, particularly if your son is a strong player.

Are there many injuries in Pop Warner football? I am worried that my son will get hurt.Although they certainly can occur, injuries at the Pop Warner level are rare. Prior to middle school, boys are generally not yet big and strong enough to hurt each other. Interestingly, a national study conducted several years ago found that there is a higher percentage of injuries in soccer than in Pop Warner football.

Perhaps more importantly, playing Pop Warner football likely will decrease your child’s chances of getting injured while playing middle school football because he will already know the fundamentals of tackle football, including how to properly tackle, and how to protect himself when he is tackled.

Are there minimum play requirements for Pop Warner teams?
Yes. The minimum number of plays per player varies depending on the number of players on a team, and is governed by Pop Warner rules. The minimum number of plays is usually 8-10 plays (excluding special teams plays).

What is West Austin Pop Warner’s “territory”?
West Austin Pop Warner is the Pop Warner franchise for all kids who reside in the Austin High School, Anderson High School, and McCallum High School districts.

Shouldn’t my son wait until middle school to begin playing tackle football?
No. If your son waits until middle school to begin playing tackle football, he will be at a huge disadvantage. Most successful middle school players learned to play to football at the Pop Warner level. Boys who try out for a middle school team without any tackle football experience have a difficult time competing with their peers who have Pop Warner experience. In addition, because of the large number of middle school players, middle school coaches often have very little time to teach beginners the fundamentals of tackle football.