Team Insight

richardsonsports.com/baseball to start customizing! Scan the QR code or visit When it comes to custom baseball gear, Richardson is truly lights out. Our roster boasts an incredible lineup of customization options, a legendary commitment to quality and service, and some of the fastest turn times in the industry. LIGHTS OUT 4TH QUARTER Youth Football With Pop Warner Aer a well-documented COVID-fueled dip in enrollment along with most other team sports, youth football is experiencing a bounce back. One of the reasons is certainly because of steps taken to make sure it has never been safer, according to Pop Warner Little Scholars executive director Jon Butler, who has been leading the Pop Warner Football program for the last 32 years. "Since 1929, Pop Warner has been the prom- inent youth football organization in America," Butler tells Team Insight from his Langhorne, PA, office. "For decades, we've provided kids in communities all across the country an opportunity to play football. As the game has evolved, we've evolved with it and, at many times, spearheaded the way." According to Butler, participation in Pop Warner's youth football program is higher now than during pre-COVID pandemic levels. And from a safety perspective Pop Warner has led the charge to make the game safer and better for young players – for ages 5 to 15 – by instituting a number of measures and protocols over the past decade. "Pop Warner was the first football organiza- tion to reduce the amount of physical contact in practices," notes Butler. "We removed the three-point stance and kickoffs for our younger ages and mandated coaching education around how to teach blocking and tackling — all guided by a medical advisory board made up of physicians, researchers, neurosurgeons, sports medicine and concussion specialists. "And, while not specific to safety, we are implementing a program that will improve behavior of players, coaches, fans and parents. We want the experience of playing youth foot- ball to be something positive that influences the lives of these kids for years to come." e Pop Warner Little Scholars program, which has been in existence since 1929, is present in 35 states. "We have hundreds of community associa- tions that run local youth football programs," Butler explains. "Our largest level of participa- tion is for eight-to-11-year olds and the number of players on a team averages around 26." In addition to tackle football, Pop Warner has a widely respected cheer and dance pro- gram and a flag football initiative, which is inclusive of all young athletes who want to participate in a sport, compete and be part of a team. When children are registered to play tackle football under the Pop Warner banner, their registration fee covers paying for helmets, shoulder pads, uniforms, officiating fees, insurance, field usage and lighting. It's the re- sponsibility of the players to buy cleats, practice pants, practice jerseys, socks and gloves. n teaminsightmag.com November/December 2023 ~ Team Insight • 22

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