MONUMENT
BLIZZARD
FOOTBALL & CHEER
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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What are the benefits of Pop Warner vs. other football programs?
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What are the guiding principles for the Blizzard organization?
Who is the Blizzard associated with?
The Blizzard association is part of Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc. (PWLS).
PWLS is a non-profit organization that provides youth football and cheer & dance programs for participants in 42 states and several countries around the world.
Consisting of approximately 325,000 young people ranging from ages 5 to 16 years old, Pop Warner is the largest (and most successful) youth football, cheer and dance program in the world. The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) estimates that between 60% and 70% of all NFL players began their careers playing Pop Warner Football.
Pop Warner was founded in 1929, and continues to grow and serves as the only youth football, cheerleading & dance organization that requires its participants to maintain academic standards in order to participate. Pop Warner's commitment to academics is what separates the program from other youth sports around the world.
As the only national youth sports organization that requires scholastic aptitude to participate, Pop Warner is committed to developing America's young people on the field and off. Each year Pop Warner continues to expand its efforts in team and activity participation, as well as visibility and outreach in the community.
Since 1929, the Pop Warner Programs Philosophy has been that athletics and scholastics go hand in hand. At every level, Pop Warner programs seek to develop well-rounded young men and women who learn not only the fundamentals of football, cheerleading, and dance but also the importance of education in an atmosphere conducive to developing sound character while having a good time.
Within PWLS, there are various geographic regions and within each geographic region there are various leagues. Each league has several associations. The Blizzard is an association that is part of Pikes Peak Pop Warner (league) within PWLS South West region.
What are the benefits of Pop Warner vs. other football programs?
There are tremendous benefits to being part of Pop Warner in general. The benefits are well articulated on the main Pop Warner web site here.
Other benefits include:
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Playing on regulation 100 yard fields (Tiny Mites, the division for 5-7 year olds, play on 80 yard fields). Some other programs only play on 80-yard fields.
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8-week regular season games with opportunity for playoffs. Teams that advance through playoffs have opportunity to travel to ESPN's Wide World Of Sports in Orlando, FL for the Pop Warner National Championships. Other football programs have limited number of games and/or no opportunity for playoffs.
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Kids compete with kids of similar age and size. Pop Warner is the ONLY youth football program (local, regional and national) that sets and enforces a strict AGE & WEIGHT MATRIX that reduces the risk and reality of injuries. Other programs either a) do not have any age/weight limits or b) have "patch" players in that "heavier" players can only play line positions.
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Quality officiating. Officiating crews that have at least one Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) certified referee. For younger divisions, there are at least 2 (usually 3) referees for each game; for older divisions there are at least 3 (usually 4) referees for each game.
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Being part of a stable organization. Pop Warner has been around since 1929 hand has extensive experience in managing and providing support for its members. Pikes Peak Pop Warner has founded in 2008 as group of associations and officially became its own league in 2011. The Blizzard was started in 2009.
How long has the Blizzard association been around?
The Blizzard was started in 2009 as an association as part of the Rocky Mountain Pop Warner league (the league that serves the greater Denver/northern Colorado area). When the Pikes Peak Pop Warner league was founded to serve the greater Colorado Springs/southern Colorado area, the Blizzard moved under Pikes Peak Pop Warner.
How much does it cost to play football for Blizzard?
The costs for the 2018 season are as follows:
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Tiny Mite and Mitey Mite: $415 ($385 if registered before April 1st)
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Jr Pee Wee and Pee Wee: $500 ($475 if registered before April 1st)
The fees include: league dues, field fees, referees, association expenses & game uniform (which player keeps at end of season).
The fees do not include player specific equipment. Every player must supply their own helmet (MUST be matte white with white facemask), shoulder pads, cleats, mouth guard, practice jersey and pants as well as any other optional equipment.
Travel costs, if any, are not included.
What are the guiding principles for the Blizzard organization?
The Blizzard organization has 6 guiding principles that govern and shape everything we do:
1) SAFETY - being safe in all we do - Safety is first and foremost in all Blizzard activities. Blizzard coaches are certified in and teach the latest techniques (e.g. Heads Up tackling) to help minimize risks (risks that are inherent in any contact sport). We do drills/training that are teach and reinforce fundamental skills; we do not do drills that serve no purpose other than to beat kids up. Blizzard coaches are required to follow the rules set up by Pop Warner that limit the amount of contact during a practice as well as during a week. We are concerned about proper hydration, nutrition, and proper care of injuries. Obviously playing tackle football has a risk of injury but in the Blizzard, we will always put player safety first.
2) CHARACTER - developing men & women of character - Good character (integrity, perseverance, humility, teachability, sportsmanship, self-control, respect, teamwork, the value of hard work, etc.) are character traits that are essential for success in sports as well as in life. The Blizzard teams strive to teach and model good character in all that we do.
3) ACADEMICS - promoting academic success - In the Pop Warner organization, academic success is more important than any athletic success. Along those lines, each Blizzard participant must achieve and maintain an acceptable grade average throughout the season. These requirements are strictly monitored and enforced throughout the season.
4) FUNDAMENTALS - teaching & instilling fundamentals - It is the goal of the Blizzard organization that each participant completes each season with an increased knowledge of and the ability to execute the fundamental skills of the game. In addition to teaching physical elements of the game, we also strive to teach the mental aspects of the game (as is appropriate for a particular age/division). We constantly hear from parents about how much their son learned about football as well as himself throughout the season, regardless of how many years he has been playing.
5) FUN - having fun - In the Blizzard, we strive never to lose sight of the fact that football is a game and the players are kids. We want kids to grow in their passion for the game of football.
6) WIN - building winning teams/culture - In the Blizzard, we will continually strive to be THE BEST Pop Warner association in the country and to assemble the best teams for each division.
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What are the ages/weights for the various divisions?
One of the benefits of Pop Warner is that players compete with kids of similar age and size. Pop Warner is the ONLY youth football program (local, regional and national) that sets and enforces a strict AGE & WEIGHT MATRIX that reduces the risk and reality of injuries.
The ages/weights are:
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TINY MITE | 35-75 lbs. | 5, 6, & 7 year olds
No older/lighter
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MITEY MITE | 60-100 lbs. | 5, 6 & 7 year olds
No older/lighter
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JR. PEE WEE | 65-115 lbs. | 8, 9 & 10 year olds
Older/lighter | 65-95 lbs | 11 year olds
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PEE WEE | 80-130 lbs. | 9, 10 & 11 year olds
Older/lighter | 80-110 lbs. | 12 year olds
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JR. MIDGET | 95-155 lbs. | 10, 11 & 12 year olds
Older/lighter | 95-135 lbs | 13 year olds
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MIDGET | 110-180 lbs. | 12, 13 & 14 year olds
Older/lighter | 110-160 lbs. | 15 year olds
Where are games played?
Home games are played in Colorado Springs/Monument area based on our usage agreements with area school districts. Our home games for 2018 will be in the Monument District 38 or North Colorado Springs area. More information will be provided when available.
Since we play Rocky Mountain Pop Warner teams as well our Pikes Peak Pop Warner rivals, regular season away-games will be played at various schools in greater Denver area as well as in Colorado Springs and surrounding areas.
If a team makes it far into the playoffs against Southwest Region Pop Warner leagues, game sites rotate depending on year. Thus there may be an opportunity to play games in other states that comprise the Southwest Pop Warner region.
When does season start and end?
The official Pop Warner season begins August 1st; the first practice will be on/about this date. Players must complete 10 hours of non-contact practice before contact is allowed. For this reason, it is STRONGLY urged that any vacations are completed prior to August 1st.
Regular season games normally start 1st week of September and go through end of October.
Playoffs, assuming a team qualifies, normally start in early November and end in mid-November.
If a team (Jr. Pee Wee division and above) advances to the Pop Warner championship games at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Florida, this usually occurs 1st week of December.
What areas does the Blizzard serve??
Blizzard players come from all areas. Indeed, some kids travel significant distances in order to be part of the special community of players, cheerleaders, families, and coaches that make up the Blizzard.
In general, the Blizzard serves the Monument/Colorado Springs areas in El Paso, southern Douglas, and southern Elbert counties in Colorado.
This includes the communities/neighborhoods of Woodmoor, Jackson Creek, Flying Horse, Cordera, Wolf Ranch, Northgate, Fox Run, Glen Eagle, Pine Creek, Black Forest, Trailridge, Middle Creek, Interquest, Kettle Creek, Briar Gate, Palmer Lake, Peyton, Air Force Academy, Larkspur, Elbert, Greenland, Eastonville, and surrounding areas.
How are positions and playing time determined?
Each division and team in the Blizzard is formed with the focus on fielding the best, most competitive team possible. Every player has the opportunity to try out for any position on offense, defense, or special teams; there are no pre-determined positions (regardless of who's son a player is). While some players may have previous experience playing a certain position, that does not guarantee that they will play that position.
In determining positions, the head coach (with input from assistant coaches) will assess each player's capabilitiesand desires along with the needs of the team. Once positions have been determined, it is expected that each player, with the full support of his parents, will do everything he can to be the best at the position(s) he is playing.
For playing time, Pop Warner has a Minimum Play Rule (MPR) which mandates that each player must play a minimum number of plays based on the number of players on a team. For example, for a team that has 18-24 players (the typical range for Blizzard teams), each player must play at least ten (10) plays. Many players play more than 10 plays but ultimately playing time is determined by the coaching staff and is based on a player's attitude, character, experience, and ability. All decisions on playing time, like decisions on positions, ultimately rests with the head coach.
Where and when are practices?
Practices will be held in the Monument District 38 area. Once a practice field has been secured, we will provide an update. In the event of inclement weather (e.g. lightning), practice may be moved to an indoor facility in the area.
Practices begin on/about August 1st and continue for rest of season. The coach ultimately determines the practice schedule during any given week. Each player is required to complete 10 hours of non-contact practice prior to beginning contact. For this reason is STRONGLY urged that any vacations are completed prior to August 1st.
Pop Warner football teams are limited to practicing no more than 10 hours a week before Labor Day and no more than 6 hours a week after Labor Day.
Is the Blizzard a non-profit?
Yes, the Blizzard, as part of Pikes Peak Pop Warner, falls under the 501(c)3 non-profit designation. If you need a copy of the determination letter, feel free to contact us.
What high schools does Blizzard feed into?
The Blizzard football players fall into all area high schools. In general, the majority of our players feed into Palmer Ridge and Lewis-Palmer high schools. We also have players that go on to play at Discovery Canyon, Air Academy, and Pine Creek high schools.
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If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us.