Below are the most commonly questions asked regarding registration, fundraising and equipment.

Question :
Why is it recommended that parents attend registration in person?

Answer :
Players will be assigned to a team level on a first-come first-served basis. In order to manage this process in a fair and open manner, parents are asked to register their children in person. In addition, parental release forms need to be filled out at registration.

Question :
Why is registration so early?

Answer :
The league has grown in popularity to the point that game scheduling has become a major time-consuming issue for Pop Warner. Last year, because new teams were being added late and other teams dropped out just before the season began, the game schedule was not published until the weekend before the season started. This year, in order to accommodate the growth of the league, and to discourage towns from submitting more teams than they will actually have, the league has requested that all associations conduct registration early in order to declare the actual amount of teams they will have this year by March 1st. (Any changes to the amount of teams will result in a fine to Duxbury Pop Warner.) As a result of this early declaration, league-wide game scheduling will be completed by early August and planning for each association and their families will be much improved.

Note: We would like Super Bowl Sunday to become the traditional registration date for Duxbury Pop Warner registration.

Question :
Why is the registration fee non-refundable?

Answer :
As mentioned above, Duxbury Pop Warner must declare to the Pop Warner league the number of teams that we will field this year by March 1 st. If we decrease the amount of teams after that we will be fined. The fine is high to discourage drops and to cover the league’s cost of reinventing the schedule as occurred last year. Consequently, Duxbury Pop Warner will not refund registration fees in order to discourage drops and/or to offset the cost of possibly having to drop a team.

Question :
In football, how is it determined at which team level (Mitey-mite, Jr. Peewee, Peewee, Jr. Midget, or Midget) a child will play at?

Answer :
In Pop Warner football a child’s playing level is determined by a weight first-age second policy. For safety reasons and to conform with practiced league wide policy all children will be placed in the lowest level allowed by the Pop Warner rules. Duxbury Pop Warner will use the child’s weight and playing age determined at registration to place a child on a team on a preliminary basis. The players will be weighed several times during pre-season and the determination of their playing level will be determined at the league-wide Master Weigh-in just before the season begins. (Note: It has been our experience that 99% of the time players remain at the team level they are originally assigned to at registration.)

Question :
What are the current age and weight requirement for Duxbury Pop Warner?

Answer :
Click here to see the current age and weight requirements for Duxbury Pop Warner.

Question :
In Pop Warner football, what does the minimum mandatory play rule mean?

Answer :
In accordance with Pop Warner rules, Duxbury Pop Warner will abide by the established minimum mandatory play rules. The number of minimum plays for each player is determined by the number of players eligible for that day’s game. See the following chart.
 

These are minimum play numbers. In most cases, players will play more than the minimum number of plays.

Exceptions :

Missed practices . The mandatory minimum play rule is affected by the players participation at practice during the week before the game. For instance, if a player misses one of two practices that players minimum number of mandatory plays is reduced by the same ratio, in this case, by half.

Example: 20 eligible players at game = 10 minimum plays per player.

Player X missed 1 of 2 practices during the week.

Player X is entitled to 5 minimum plays.

Does not practice . If a player does not practice during the week before a game that player forfeits his minimum play entitlement and the number of plays is determined by the coach.

These policies are as much for safety reasons as it is for learning responsibility to teammates. We do acknowledge that homework comes first, however we expect participants to find time to study and play.

Question:
Why is each player/cheerleader required to pay $100 or sell 20 cash calendars?

Answer:
Fundraising is an important part of Pop Warner football. Game day expenses are barely covered by sales from our concession stands. Our continued growth each year has forced us to purchase new equipment and uniforms for our new players. It costs about $300 to provide a full set of equipment for each player. In other sports, such as hockey and lacrosse, each individual must purchase his/her own equipment. It would be nice to say that we have 250 complete sets of equipment and leave it at that. But as kids grow, we need to purchase increased sizes for equipment and uniforms. Equipment gets damaged and has to be replaced or repaired. Every two or three years, helmets need to be recertified. We are in the process of building a new storage shed, by expanding the building we now use for our announcers’ booth. We are still a young organization and need to make capital purchases for such things as training equipment, AV equipment and a refrigerator for the concession stand.

Question:
What is a cash calendar?

Answer:
A cash calendar provides a receipt that will be drawn daily during the month of September. Each day two prize winners will be drawn. The prizes range from $25 to $250 with a grand prize of $1000 drawn on the last day.

Question:
How does the cash calendar process work?

Answer:
During equipment pickup, (date TBA – usually at the end of July) each player and cheerleader will be required to prepay $100 for 20 calendars that are numbered at the top and bottom of the page. You may either keep all the calendars for yourself or sell them to friends/relatives/coworkers for $5 each. We do not want players and cheerleaders soliciting strangers. The buyer of each calendar must fill out the bottom portion with his/her name, address and phone number. The top half of the calendar is kept for his/her records and the bottom is handed in to the head coach or spirit coordinator, on or before August 26 th. It is important that the bottom half of the calendar is handed-in, or that number will not be part of the pool from which winners are drawn. You are welcome to sell more than 20 calendars if you would like.

Each day in September there will be two winners. The winners will be posted on our Pop Warner web site daily and at the concession stands at home games.

Question:
What equipment do you provide?

Answer:
Duxbury Pop Warner provides your:

• helmet
• shoulder pads
• practice pants
• game pants
• game jerseys
• mouth-guard
• hip, tail, thigh and knee pads

All the above equipment, except the mouth-guard is due back to the equipment shed at the end of the season. Failure to return equipment on or before the return date will result in your being billed up to $300.00.

Question:
What equipment do I have to provide?

Answer:
You will need to provide:

• a practice jersey
• a girdle
• a chinstrap
• an athletic supporter

All the above equipment, except the athletic supporter may be purchased through Duxbury Pop Warner. All the above equipment is yours to keep at the end of the season.

You may purchase optional equipment such as cleats, gloves, braces, chin sleeves, etc.. You should discuss your need for such equipment with your coach prior to purchase. (Metal cleats are not allowed and rubber cleats must not exceed ½”).

Question:
When and where do I get the equipment you provide?

Answer:
Football player equipment will be distributed by team specified evenings in July at the Sharks equipment shed. The shed is located behind the Duxbury Middle School, beside the football field.

Question:
Where do I get the equipment I have to provide?

Answer:
All optional equipment can be purchased at any major sporting goods store such as Dick's Sporting Goods and Sports Authority in Plymouth.

Question:
What if I have a problem with my equipment?

Answer:
Most equipment problems can be resolved by making simple adjustments with the right tools. See your coach or the equipment manager for assistance.

Question:
What if my helmet hurts my head?

Answer:
Your helmet must fit tightly to protect your head, so it’s very common for your helmet to hurt your head for the first couple of weeks. We recommend that you wear your helmet for an hour or so each day just before camp. If your helmet still causes discomfort after a couple of days, see your coach or the equipment manager for assistance.

Question:
How do I take care of my equipment?

Answer:

Game Uniform:

• Remove pads from pants
• Wash in warm water with like colors
• Do not use bleach
• Allow to air dry

Helmet:

• Wash inside and out with mild soap and water as needed
• Tighten loose screws as needed
• Contact the equipment manager if any part of the helmet is damaged or missing

Shoulder Pads:

• Wash with mild soap and water as needed
• Contact the equipment manager if straps or laces are torn or cut

Question:
What if I confuse my helmet with someone else’s?

Answer:
Contact the equipment manager who can track everyone’s helmet by number.

Question:
What if I return my equipment later than the return date?

Answer:
Late returns mean extra trips to the equipment shed, additional paperwork and hours of extra work for the equipment manager. Late returns on equipment will also cost you $25.00.

Question:
What if I lose or damage some or all of my equipment?

Answer:
Normal wear and tear on football equipment is expected. However, you will be billed for replacement of lost or abused equipment at the costs below:

• game jerseys $80.00 per jersey
• game pants $20.00
• helmet $65.00
• shoulder pads $30.00
• practice pants $15.00
• 7-piece pad set $10.00