Most people might be thinking it’s about time Pop Warner caught up with the rest of the world. Since its inception in 1929, Pop Warner has been the out-right leader in youth football. Almost everyone over the age of 30 at this point that played youth football, played Pop Warner football. For many years it was the only option to playing organized youth football, other than playing in the streets telling your best friend to run a post at the street light. Over the years Pop Warner has come to be described as the “safe league”. With its strict weight requirements that on average tend to be at least 20 pounds less than its popular counter parts like Jr. All American Football, Pop Warner lately has been deemed as the starter league, that keeps competition to a minimum due to the fact most kids can’t make the weight limit set for each division.
Last season San Diego, CA set the bar with the unlimited division, this year all of Southern California will follow suit. This division will surely add life to Pop Warner and put it back in competition with all the other hot leagues that are surging due to no weight requirement. The unlimited division will allow ages 11 through 14 to weigh a minimum of 105lbs and up. Nonetheless depending on the number of kids in each program, most cities at the moment will have a midget division that allows the same ages with an (older lightweight) requirement for fifteen year olds (105 -140lbs).
I’m excited for the new changes to Pop Warner. There is nothing like a traditional component of youth sports stepping into a modern realization. I know for most its still moving too slow being only one division of 5 making the change, but it still is progress. Similar to AAU, PCC and a few other emerging leagues I feel Pop Warner will eventually move to just an age requirement with no weight restrictions. The overall change will put the league back in the mix if not back in the leader position as the number one provider in youth football with already and estimated 325,000 youth athletes already competing every year nationwide.
Football is almost a right of passage for many. Some may only experience the joy of playing football at the youth level. I have witnessed the heartbreak of a child not making weight, therefore being unable to participate in a game or even the entire season because he or she is unable to drop the necessary weight to play. In all fairness at every level people come in all sizes so why should it not be true for our children playing football. Being the same age is fair competition in every other youth sport. The same should go for football. As always time is the measure of all things, and only time will tell if this is the right direction for youth football.
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