Pop Warner Little Scholars

Last updated
Pop Warner Little Scholars
Named after Pop Warner
Formation1929;95 years ago (1929)
FounderJoseph J. Tomlin [1]
Type Non-profit
Headquarters Langhorne, Pennsylvania
Region
United States
Website Official website

Pop Warner Little Scholars, commonly known simply as Pop Warner, is a nonprofit organization that provides activities such as American football, for over 425,000 youths aged 5 to 16 years old, in several nations. It is the largest youth football organization in the United States. [2]

Contents

Its headquarters are in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. Pop Warner Little Scholars is named after football coach Pop Warner, who heavily contributed to the organization in its early years.

Participation

Participation has declined as parents become more concerned about concussions in American football. [3]

Jasmine Plummer was the first girl to participate in a Pop Warner football team as quarterback. [4] At the age of 11 years old, she became the first female quarterback and the first black female athlete to play in the Pop Warner Super Bowl youth football tournament, [5] specifically the 56th Annual Pop Warner Super Bowl (Junior Pee Wee division); however, her team, the Harvey Colts, lost in the semifinals.

Age and weight divisions

DivisionAge requirementsWeight requirementsEnd-of-season max
Junior Tiny-Mite3-4
Tiny-Mite5–735–75 lbs79 lbs.
Mitey-Mite7–945–100 lbs104 lbs.
Jr. Pee Wee8–10 (11)60–115 lbs (60–95 lbs)119 lbs. (99 lbs)
Pee Wee9–11 (12)75–130 lbs (75–110 lbs)134 lbs. (114 lbs)
Junior Varsity10–12 (13)90–155 lbs (90–135 lbs)159 lbs.
Varsity12–14 (15)105–180 lbs (105–160 lbs)184 lbs. (164 lbs)
Unlimited11–14105+ lbsUnlimited

Some divisions allow "older but lighter" players who meet the age and weight requirements in parentheses. [6]

Safety and brain health

In the 2010s, there has been much controversy about football and brain health, with a number of studies focusing not just on the occasional concussion, but also on the large number of sub-concussive hits. One game in particular in 2012 resulted in five concussions. [7] In 2015, a family sued Pop Warner over the suicide of a former player who was later found to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), claiming that the organization knew or should have known about the risk of head injuries. [8] Several other lawsuits have been filed against Pop Warner for related cases. [9] [10] At least one case resulted in a settlement. [3]

In 2016, the Pop Warner league banned kickoffs in an attempt to reduce high-speed collisions that result in concussions. [2] In 2019, they banned younger players from using a three-point stance, which is associated with head injuries. [3]

A 2018 study found that tackle football before age 12 was correlated with earlier onset of symptoms of CTE, but not with symptom severity. [11] [12] [13] There have also been advocates for flag football only before certain ages. [14] [15]

Michael Lewis, a preventive medicine specialist on the Pop Warner Youth Football Medical Advisory Board, says that even people who do not believe that football causes CTE should support reducing the number of times children and adolescents have their heads hit, because "there’s no downside to decreasing" the risk to the brain. [3] The Concussion Legacy Foundation with the slogan "Stop Hitting Kids in the Head", encourages parents and coaches to prefer flag football over tackle football until age 14. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

Fulton Luther Walker Jr. was an American professional football player who was a cornerback for the Miami Dolphins from 1981 to 1985 and Los Angeles Raiders from 1985 to 1986 of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers. He graduated from Martinsburg High School and West Virginia University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Arrington</span> American football player (1947–2021)

Richard Cameron Arrington was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played three seasons for the Eagles from 1970 to 1973. He played college football at Georgia and Tulsa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chronic traumatic encephalopathy</span> Neurodegenerative disease caused by head injury

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated trauma to the head. The encephalopathy symptoms can include behavioral problems, mood problems, and problems with thinking. The disease often gets worse over time and can result in dementia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andre Waters</span> American football player and coach (1962–2006)

Andre Maurice Waters was an American professional football player who was a safety for the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL) from 1984 to 1995. Waters was regarded as one of the NFL's most aggressive players, serving as an integral part of one of the league's top defenses. On November 20, 2006, Waters died by suicide and was subsequently diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). He is one of at least 345 NFL players to be diagnosed after death with CTE, which is caused by repeated hits to the head.

Walter William Hilgenberg was a professional American football linebacker, he played 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), four with the Detroit Lions and 12 with the Minnesota Vikings.

Henry Childs was an American professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Rams, and the Green Bay Packers. He was a Pro Bowl player in 1979.

Ron Johnson was an American professional football player who was a cornerback for seven seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL).

Mark Edward Arneson was an American professional football player who was a linebacker for the St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Arizona Wildcats. His brother Jim Arneson followed him into the NFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Turner (running back)</span> American football player (1969–2016)

Paul Kevin Turner was an American professional football player who was a fullback for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Turner died after a multi-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which had been triggered by chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

Charles Ray Easterling was an American football safety in the National Football League (NFL). He graduated from the University of Richmond in 1972 and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the ninth round of the 1972 NFL draft.

American Youth Football (AYF), established in 1996, is an international organization that promotes the development of youth through their association with adult leaders in American football. Rules and regulations ensure players are in a safe environment with a competitive balance between teams. The National Football League (NFL) has made AYF a national youth football partner. The President of American Youth Football is Joe Galat.

Jeffrey Hugh Staggs was an American college and professional football player who played for the San Diego State Aztecs and San Diego Chargers.

Ralph Richard Wenzel was a professional American football player who played guard for seven seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Diego Chargers.

Danny Brabham was an American football player who played collegiately at linebacker for the University of Arkansas, and for six seasons in the American Football League (AFL) for the Houston Oilers and the Cincinnati Bengals.

Concussions and play-related head blows in American football have been shown to be the cause of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which has led to player deaths and other debilitating symptoms after retirement, including memory loss, depression, anxiety, headaches, stress, and sleep disturbances.

Robert Donnell Sowell Jr. was a professional American football player who played defensive back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Miami Dolphins.

<i>Concussion</i> (2015 film) 2015 film by Peter Landesman

Concussion is a 2015 American biographical sports drama film written and directed by Peter Landesman, based on the exposé "Game Brain" by Jeanne Marie Laskas, published in 2009 by GQ magazine. Set during the 2000s, the film stars Will Smith as Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist who fights against the National Football League trying to suppress his research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) brain degeneration suffered by professional football players.

Charles Augustus Arrobio was an American football tackle who played for the USC Trojans and the Minnesota Vikings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston University CTE Center and Brain Bank</span>

The Boston University CTE Center is an independently run medical research lab located at the Boston University School of Medicine. The Center focuses on research related to the long-term effects of brain trauma and degenerative brain diseases, specializing in the diagnosis and analysis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). According to researchers at Boston University, CTE is a brain disease involving progressive neurological deterioration common in athletes, military personnel, and others who have a history of brain trauma. The disease is primarily caused by repeated blows to the head, some of which result in concussions or sub-concussive symptoms.

Jeff Winans was an American football guard. He played for the Buffalo Bills in 1973 and 1975, the New Orleans Saints in 1976 and for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1977 to 1978.

References

  1. ↑ "Pop Warner Football".
  2. 1 2 Belson, Ken (May 12, 2016). "Pop Warner Bans Kickoffs in Hopes of Protecting Its Youngest Players". The New York Times. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Morris, Alex (2023-09-09). "They Played Football as Children. Now Their Families Mourn". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
  4. ↑ "Celebrating Local Black Icons: A Conversation with Football Pioneer Jasmine Plummer". February 12, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Jasmine Plummer - Age, Movie & Family". Biography. July 7, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Ages & Weights". Pop Warner Little Scholars. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  7. ↑ Belson, Ken (October 23, 2012). "A 5-Concussion Pee Wee Game Leads to Penalties for the Adults". The New York Times. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  8. ↑ Belson, Ken (February 5, 2015). "Family Sues Pop Warner Over Suicide of Player Who Had Brain Disease". The New York Times. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  9. ↑ McCann, Michael; Murphy, Austin (September 1, 2016). "New lawsuit points finger at Pop Warner for mismanagement of head injuries". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  10. ↑ Leonard, Tod (January 28, 2018). "Moms take on football, suing Pop Warner for their sons' head trauma, deaths". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Study finds youth football tied to earlier symptoms of CTE," ESPN, April 30, 2018.
  12. ↑ Parents, put off tackle football as long as possible, study suggests, Austin American-Statesman, Nicole Villalpando, May 25, 2018.
  13. ↑ Age of First Exposure to Tackle Football and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, Annals of Neurology, Michael L. Alosco PhD, Jesse Mez MD, MS, et al., 30 April 2018.
  14. ↑ Shea Jr., Michael M. (June 22, 2018). "Opinion: Block kids under 12 from playing tackle football". The Mercury News. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  15. ↑ Former NFLers call for end to tackle football for kids, CNN, Nadia Kounang, updated March 1, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.