Seymour Pop Warner FAQ’s

1. Who may participate in Seymour Pop Warner?

Any child between the ages of 7 and 15, who lives in Seymour or Oxford is eligible to participate. (Weight restrictions apply as well as scholastic requirements) Residents of any town where there is NOT a chartered Pop Warner program are also eligible to participate.

2. What league do you play in and what towns make up that league?

Seymour Pop Warner is a member of Southern Connecticut Pop Warner League. (SCPW) The teams in SCPW are: Amity, Bridgeport, Danbury, Derby, Fairfield, Hamden, Hartford, Milford, Naugatuck, New Haven, Newington, Shelton, Stratford, Trumbull, Waterbury, West Haven, Woodland.

3. How do I register?

Check out our web site for registration dates & times.

http://www.seymourpopwarner.com

New player registrations are held in April, May & June of each year. 

4. Are there tryouts to make a team?

No, there are no tryouts to make a team. There are limits to the number of players allowed on the roster. Positions will be assigned at the discretion of the coaches and players will be assigned to a position that best suits their ability and the needs of the team. A player is assigned to a team based on age, weight and then experience. Pop Warner has specific age limits and weight limits for each level which are strictly enforced.

5. When does practice begin?

Practice begins on Ausgust 1^st . A player may start practice as long as all necessary paperwork is turned in. NO participant will be allowed to practice without handing in a signed physical form.

6. If all the paperwork is not turned in by August 1^st, can the player still participate?

If all the paperwork is not turned in by August 1^st, a player won’t be allowed to start practice and receive equipment. The player may sit on the sidelines and watch practice until the required paperwork is turned in.

7. How often is practice and where is it held?

Football practices are held at Seymour High School and run 5 nights a week during the month of August from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM. After Labor Day, practice drops to 3 nights per week from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

Cheerleaders practice at Seymour High School for the month of August and then will the Seymour Community Center along with other local schools. 

8. Is practice mandatory in August?

Yes, practice is mandatory in August. Please notify the coach if you will be away on vacation so they can plan appropriately. Attendance is CRUCIAL to a successful and FUN season.  

9. How many players are allowed on a team?

The maximum number of players allowed on a team is 35.
The minimum number of players is 16.

10. How are football players assigned to a team?

Division Name	Ages	Weigh Range
Mitey-Mite (MM)	7-8-9	45 – 90 lbs.
Junior Pee Wee (JPW)	8-9-10	60 – 105 lbs.
(older/lighter)	11*	60 – 85 lbs
Pee Wee (PW)	9-10-11	75 – 120 lbs.
(older/lighter)	12*	75 – 100 lbs.
Junior Midget (JM)	10-11-12	85 – 135 lbs.
(older/lighter)	13*	85 – 115 lbs.
Midget (M)	11-12-13	105 – Unlimited
(older/lighter)	14*(1st year freshman)	105 – 165lbs.

* The asterisked (*) provisions in each division allowed the so-called “older but lighter” player to also qualify. The last year of eligibility falls under more stringent weight restrictions, per above.

** Midget Football Team compete in the ‘Patriot Division’ with the weight limits that are listed above.

11. Does everyone play?

Yes, everyone plays. Pop Warner has a Minimum Mandatory Play Rule(MPR) based on team size. These are the number of plays that each player must play per game.

Tackle Football
6-25 players – 10 plays
26-30 players – 8 plays
31-35 players – 6 plays 

Mitey Mites Only
16-25 Players – 12 plays
26-30 Players – 10 plays
31-35 Players –  8 plays

12. What equipment is needed?

Seymour Pop Warner provides most equipment needed to participate.

Football players need to purchase cleats, athletic supporter and cup. All other equipment is provided by Seymour Pop Warner.

Cheerleaders will need to purchase uniform, cheer sneakers, body suits, bloomers and hair pieces. Warm up suits are optional.

Flag Football players need to purchase cleats.  All other equipment is provided by Seymour Pop Warner.

13. How many games are there?

There will be 2 preseason football scrimmages and a football jamboree along with 8 regular season games. (4 home & 4 away) Home games are played at Seymour High School. There will generally be at least one post season game for all the 5 levels. Teams that do not qualify for SCPW League Playoffs may then depended on record able to participate in the SCPW Bob Boss Tournament. Post season games can continue weekly through November (with continued success) in all levels except Mitey Mite. There are league, state, regional and national championships for all levels except Mitey Mite. Bob Boss games will only play within the league.

Cheerleaders participate in the SCPW Cheer Competition with the chance of moving on to Regional and then Nationals. They also can participate in the Connecticut Spirit Competition. Cheerleaders will cheer as long as their football teams is playing in playoffs or they are competing in the SCPW, Regional or National cheer competitions. 

14. When are the games?

Game times for each neason are not confirmed until mid August of the current season.

Typical games times are as following: (Subject to change)

 Saturday                                      Sunday
 JPW – 9:00 AM                             JR MM – 10:00 AM              
 PW – 11:00 AM                             SR MM – 12:00 PM
JM – 1:00 PM                                 JPW – 2:00 PM
M – 3:00 PM                                   PW – 4:00 PM
JR MM – 3:00 PM (lower field)         JM – 6:00 PM
SR MM – 5:00 PM                           M – 8:00 PM  

 **Football Players must be at games 1.5 hour before game time for weigh in & warm up.

** Cheerleaders must be at games 1.0 hour before game time for warm up.

15. How do the players get to the away games?

Seymour Pop Warner does not supply transportation to the games. It is up to the parents to get the player there or arrange transportation for him/her.

16. Who covers the costs related to playoff and championship games?

Should any team advance to playoff and/or championship games, all travel and lodging expenses are the responsibility of each family.  

17. How can I help out?

Seymour Pop Warner is run entirely by volunteers and your help is greatly appreciated. A five hour per season volunteer commitment is required by an adult for each player in the program (maximum 10 hours per family.) A great number of families donate many more than the required hours which has increased the success of our program.

Yes every participant in our tackle football and cheer programs aeis responsible to do funraising. You may choose to do the buyout instead of doing the yearly fundraiser.

Our annual fundraiser is what keeps our program running. It is used to pay for league dues, insurance, officials, new equipment, free tee shirt to each participant, banquet(football players & cheerleaders go for free) & trophies.

Seymour Pop Warner will start a fundraising campaign for the team(s) that qualify for Regional and National Competitions. Any money raised will be used to pay for the coaches and players with the outstanding balance the responsibilty of each particiapnts family. Family members and siblings cost is the responsibility of each family.