Queen Creek Pop Warner Football and Cheer: My Site News

Tuesday, July 6
Fundraising

This is the "touchy" subject for all youth sports. I think some people are sick of it. However there is really no way to run a sports program at any level without some sort of fundraising. There are many different ways that it is done. I will show you three examples (without names) of actual leagues in our area and their fundraising techniques.

  League A: Each player/cheerleader pays $125.00 to play. Each Coach pays $2000.00 to get a team. The league works just fine. However the coaches then have to either a) fundraise with their team b) get sponsors or c) take out a 2nd mortgage on their house.

  League B: Each Player pays $200.00 to play, $75 for a field fee and $100.00 for equipment rental. or a total of $375.00.  The only fundraising they do after that is minimal for a team party or gift.

  League C: Each player pays $200.00 to play. Each player is required to a league fundraiser and a team fundraiser. These fundraisers are provided by the league with minimums to be met by each player. If the player or family doesn't want to participate they can do the fundraising buyout per fundraiser

 So which one is best?Worst?  I don't know. I've been in leagues for both. I'm not sure if I really have a favorite. I like the fundraiser buy out option, unless I have no money then I like that my kids can participate. I don't think there is a wrong or a right answer. I wouldn't ever coach in a league like League A example. But that's just me.

Here are some less obvious benefits of doing fundraisers

1) Helps kids get confidence speaking to others

2) Helps us recruite other kids or families. 

3) Helps us with gathering other sponsors that are part of a larger fundraiser

4) Influences kids choices and families choices of playing with one league or another. 

 I hope you understand why we do fundraisers. Each game and each practice costs the league money. Nothing is free as we all know. We don't have any way of knowing future costs (as each year most things change) however we are trying to never go higher in signup fees. Fundraisers with everyone participating is the only way we can make our league a success. 

Tuesday, April 6
What to Expect. New to Pop Warner

So you're new to Pop Warner. Don't know much about it? Well here's a list of what you should expect.

 

  • Organization: We try to be as organized as possible. Most teams and certainly the league will be very organized, governed and rule following as possible. Football is a dangerous sport, so you must follow each rule to make it as safe as possible.
  • Well Run: Each coach and business manager is trained to run a team. This gets better of course the more experienced the coach or the business manger becomes. For the most part each team will be run well
  • Consistency: Every where we go the same rules apply. Now is this perfect? No. But for the most part the processes for weigh-ins, games and experiences will be the same.
  • Diversity: Pop Warner is a national organization. We play teams from every area of Phoenix, and every walk of life.
  • Play time: Each player has a "minimum plays #" that they must meet.
  • Competition: As the players get older the level and intensity of competition increases. This is expected and embraced to prepare players, and cheerleaders, for their high school experience.
  • Safety: Each team has a first-aide/CPR trained person on staff, each coach is trained in and governed by rules that promote safety.
  • Quality Equipment: each piece of equipment is checked for proper maintenance each year. We buy new equipment when needed to replace older equipment, we refurbish each year what needs it. This includes uniforms
  • Fundraising: The league and each team is required to fund raise. The league fund raises for fields, lights, equipment/uniforms, referees, insurance and other costs. Each team is then required to fund raise for gear, parties, etc.  No on is left out of this opportunity!  Fundraising is also a good PR boost for us each year as we find new kids from these efforts.
  • Charity: Each Pop Warner association is required to participate in the charity of their choice. QCPW does the Relay for Life charity each spring as their charity.

 

  

Tuesday, March 9
Ben's Blog: Why Pop Warner
I have been in pop warner now for ten years. I have served as a parent, business manager, asst. coach, head coach and board member in these years. I have been part of teams that won championships, lost every game and teams in between. I've been part of three different pop warner associations. The overall reasons that I stay with Pop Warner football is organization and diversity. I'm very happy that my boys get to play against people of all walks of life. I've gone to games in rich parts of the valley, poorest of poor parts of the valley and everything in between. Each place I go the games are played the same, The rules are the same, the pre-game weigh-in procedure is the same and the feel is the same.  We have 120+ teams throughout the valley, we have a national organization, and a championship in Florida. We enjoyed watching a team that won our local championship go all the way to Florida this year to win the D2 national championship.   yeah we wished it was us, but it was inspirational that a team that we could have played or might play in the future, was able to go on a national stage and be successful.

Last year we became the newest Pop Warner Association in Arizona. Queen Creek Pop Warner started with no kids and ended up with ten teams These teams ranged from Flag (5-7 year olds) to midgets (7th & 8th graders).  We had 250+ kids signed up and playing in our league after not ever having Pop Warner in the QC/STV area before. We had much success on the field with three teams making the Arizona State playoffs, one making the Semi-finals and our Younger teams ending with winning records. Yes we had problems... these were typical in my experience.  I've been involved with youth sports in basketball, baseball, softball and football for many years and wouldn't say that the problems we had were atypical of all youth sports. We fully expect to grow this year. In fact I fully expect that we will have 12 - 14 teams this year and will grow to the 2nd largest pop warner association in the east valley.  We play our games at San Tan Foothills high school and will keep it busy...

The cost for football (tackle) is $200.00. This provides 8-10 games, AIA referees, Full pads, uniform, practice jersey and lit fields for practice.  I am excited to have concerned parents such as yourself ask these questions. Like I said I can't really speak to STYFL, Some of our coaches have come from that league and are happy with us. as an FYI, We do a complete background check through a service provided by Pop Warner national, interview and call references each year for our coaches.  We re-do this year to year even for our returning coaches. We expect a lot of our coaches and aren't afraid to fire them.  However we all live by a code-of-conduct (players and especially parents).  We aren't afraid to ask an unruly parent to leave either according to our code-of-conduct. The nice thing this gives us though is everyone (no matter what association they are in) lives by the same code-of-conduct.

Let me know if you have any more questions. I'd appreciate you sharing this with others you may know that would like to see this blog.