The Cheer & Dance Program offers teams a wide range of opportunity for young athletes at all skill levels: Novice, Intermediate and Advanced. Our regular season runs from August 1 to December 31and our extended season ends July 31.

Pop Warner has established one set of spirit rules along with JAMZ, the Pop Warner Education Development Partner and the original developer of the Youth Cheer and Dance Alliance (YCADA).  

Together with YCADA, Pop Warner is able to provide online educational courses for its coaches, administrators and judges on team skill levels for Cheer Teams (PW 1, 2, 3 & 4) and for Dance Teams (Pom Performance, Theme Dance & Hip Hop). Pop Warner also offers additional competition opportunities in Sideline Performance Cheer and Skill Games.

With continued education, the Pop Warner Coaching Staff provides basic instruction, training and conditioning for both football games and competition.

Teams participate on the sidelines at football games for home and away games through to the Pop Warner Super Bowl. In addition to Game Day, teams participate in qualifying spirit competitions (League and Region) through to a Pop Warner National Championship.

The Pop Warner National Cheer and Dance Championships (started in 1988) are now held in December located in ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Kissimmee, Florida. 

Safety First! 

Below are some tips compiled by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association that help reduce cheerleader injuries at all levels:

1. Proper Conditioning:  Each child will learn proper conditioning to physically prepare and maintain your body’s strength, flexibility, and stamina for stunting and tumbling.   Strengthen your core muscles (abdominal and lower back muscles) along with the upper and lower body and include aerobic (running, jogging, cycling, swimming) and anaerobic (wind sprints, circuit training) activities. 
2. Exercise Reminders:  Warm up, stretch and cool down for every practice or competition and be sure to rest.
3. Proper Equipment:  All associations will follow proper procedures for practice on mats or padded flooring until your routines are perfected.  Make sure the mats are adequately sized and sufficient for the activities you’re performing.
4. Spotting:  Each group will have trained spotters present and engaged at all times.
5. Knowledgeable Coaches:  Coaches are certified in safety, first aid, CPR and AED use.
6. No Horseplay:  Focus at all times during stunting and tumbling activities.
7. Communication:  Coaches review safety precautions, rules and regulations with the squad on a regular basis, and that they establish and implement an emergency action plan.
8. Safety Guidelines:  Our coaches are educated with the latest Pop Warner Rules Book, YCADA (Youth Cheer and Dance Alliance) safety guidelines and participate in the ASEP (American Sport Education Program) Coaches Online Education Training for basics in cheerleading principles;
9. Know Your Limits:  Each participant is evaluated on their skill levels. The squad is then assigned a level according to their ability level. Coaches are instructed not to attempt advanced level gymnastic or stunting skills before mastering less advanced skills.  
10. Treatment of Injuries:  Promptly attend to any injuries you sustain. Each squad will have a CPR/FIRST AID trainer at all practices and games.

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury, or TBI, caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head that can change the way your brain normally works. Concussions can also occur from a fall or a blow to the body that causes the head and brain to move quickly back and forth.

Health care professionals may describe a concussion as a “mild” brain injury because concussions are usually not life-threatening. Even so, their effects can be serious.