When is registration?

Registration is from May 17 to 31. Late fee of $20 will apply for those who register after that.  However, because teams fill up quickly, it is recommended that you register as soon as possible.

 

What is the cost of registration, and what does it include?

The registration cost for football is $375 and includes game jersey and pants, helmet decal plus personalized practice gear which includes a "Dri Fit" t-shirt and shorts and a practice jersey all printed with the player's number and the Corsairs logo. This fee also covers most items needed to run West Austin Pop Warner including: referees, practice field usage, personnel, certified athletic trainers on staff at games and team equipment.

​

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).

 

What do I need to do about equipment?

West Austin Pop Warner will host equipment fitting sessions at least twice before the season begins. Sporting goods store representatives will be present to take helmet orders and to sell other equipment.

 

You will need to purchase a WHITE helmet w/maroon facemask, shoulder pads, cleats, and practice jersey (one practice jersey is included in your registration) and practice pants (See the Needed Equipment page for further details of all equipment that must be purchased by parents).

 

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

 

When does practice start?
Beginning at the start of August allows the teams roughly four weeks of practice before their first game.

 

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. What do we do?

Players are strongly encouraged to change any plans that interfere with the 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 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. 

 

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?

August practices will take place at Austin High School and Regents School of Austin.  Practice locations will depend on which team your son is assigned to.

 

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, Dripping Springs, Fort Hood, Leander/Cedar Park, Northwest Austin, Four Points, and Southwest Austin.

​

How many regular season games will my son play?
Generally 8 or 9 depending on the schedule and how many teams are in the division but a minimum of 6. 

When do games begin and on what days are games played?

Games are played on Saturdays and begin in September. The last regular season game likely will be in mid-November. 

 

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

 

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 here 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 and McCallum High School districts.

 

Corsairs teams are formed with players from the following Austin area schools

• Casis Elementary

• Bryker Woods Elementary

• Mathews Elementary

• Pease Elementary

• Barton Hills Elementary

• Zilker Elemetary

• Oak Hill Elementary

• Sanchez Elementary

• Patton Elementary

• Travis Heights Elementary

• Dawson Elementary

• Becker Elementary

• O Henry Middle School - 6th only

• Martin Middle School- 6th only

• Fulmore Middle School- 6th only

• Small Middle School- 6th only

• St. Andrews Episcopal School

• Trinity Episcopal School

• Hyde Park 

• Regents School of Austin

​

Our focus has always concentrated on developing well rounded young men and women who learn not only the fundamentals of football but also the importance of education in an atmosphere conductive to developing sound character while having a good time.

 

West Austin Pop Warner is a part of Hill Country Pop Warner & National Pop Warner program. Currently, there are nineteen (9) local Pop Warner associations, with over 1500 children in Pop Warner cheerleading, dance, and football under the umbrella of Hill Country Pop Warner. HCPW is chartered by the National Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc. program.

 

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 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. Read here for the: Benefits of playing Pop Warner.