New York City Pop Warner Football League: Cheer

Wednesday, July 23

 POP WARNER CHEERLEADING & DANCE:

Cheerleading was officially recognized in the 1970's, but has been a part of the Pop Warner program for several decades. The first ever National Cheerleading competition was held in DeKalb County, GA. Today, 160,000 children are participating in cheerleading and dance around the United States.

Participation in the Pop Warner Spirit Program provides kids an opportunity to perform in an organized, supervised, safety-oriented environment. Pop Warner programs emphasize fun for all and encourage the development of qualities important long after Pop Warner days are gone.

The Spirit Program is growing in numbers each year due to the popularity of the sport. In an effort to keep pace with the many new changes in the cheer & dance industry, there are a few basic rules that are unique to Pop Warner Spirit Squads.

For a complete list of Pop Warner guidelines, please download the Official Pop Warner Rulebook.

 

The First Official Pop Warner Cheer Instructional Video

Pop Warner Cheerleading DVD+

The first official Pop Warner Cheer instructional video is now available for purchase, featuring expert advice and teaching from Jen Fuller, a Pop Warner cheer coach. Discover over 30 stunts in Basic, Intermediate and Advanced areas, learn to get your best stunters in the best positions for each stunt, and secrets to add creativity to your routine.

 

Types of Spirit Squads

   
 

1. Traditional Spirit

Traditional Spirit squads compete during the Pop Warner playing season from August 1st through December 31st.

2. Year-Round Spirit

The year-round season begins January 1st and ends July 31st. A Year-Round squad must compete in one competition from January 1st to July 31st. *Note: Year-Round Cheer Medical and Registration due by February 1st

* Tryouts of any kind within Pop Warner are prohibited.

The ages of all spirit participants in the program shall correspond to the overall ages that the League is permitting for players, unless League rules dictate that the ages of the spirit squad shall correspond to the playing ages of the team with which they are associated.

 

CHEER & DANCE DIVISIONS

 

Division Name

Age Range

TINY-MITE 5-6-7
MITEY-MITE
 7-8-9
JUNIOR PEEWEE
 8-9-10-11*
PEEWEE
 9-10-11-12*
JUNIOR MIDGET
 10-11-12-13*
MIDGET
 11-12-13-14-15*
JUNIOR BANTAM
 12-13-14-15*
UNLIMITED 12-13-14-15
BANTAM
 13-14-15-16*

*The asterisked (*) provisions in each division are for those leagues/associations that carry “older but lighter” football players. The age of the spirit participant may match the age of the football players in that same division. (i.e., if the league permits a football player to be a 13 year old, older-lighter junior midget, then the spirit squad may also sign-up a 13 year old participant on the corresponding cheer/dance squad.) The spirit participant is matched in age only, weights do not apply.

* Only a League that requires the ages of the spirit squads correspond to the playing ages of the team with which they are associated shall be permitted to send spirit squads to any competitions sanctioned by PWLS outside their League. Outside their league would be defined as PWLS Region or PWLS National Competition.

* A squad, regardless of the ages of its spirit participants, must be rostered, certified and registered in the same age division as the football team with which it is associated (e.g., it cannot cheer at midget games and compete as a junior midget cheer squad). The only exception to this rule is a squad registered as “Cheer/Dance without Football”. Reference Rule 1 - Formation of Squads for the definition of Cheer/Dance without Football.

* The participant’s age on July 31st of the current year shall be the participant’s age for the coming season.

 

 

SPIRIT SQUAD SIZE:

 

Division

Size of Squad

Small Cheer 19 and under
Large Cheer 20-35
Dance 35 Maximum
Flag 35 Maximum

 

 

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