Frequently Asked Questions..... Below is a list of common questions about Pop Warner Football in general and Pop Warner Football specifically in Cadillac and Norther Michigan. If you still have questions after reviewing these, feel free to contact any of the current board members for answers. Answers to common questions can also be found by visiting some of the websites on the links page. If you still have questions, feel free to contact someone of the CFL PWFL board; just click on the Contact Our Organization page.

What is Pop Warner Football and Cheer?

Pop Warner/Little Scholars is the largest and oldest organized youth footbal program in the world. Pop Warner has leagues/associations/teams in 43 states and 6 countries. It's members number over 380,000. Pop Warner has existed since 1929. For more history and information you can click on About Our Association or visit the Pop Warner Website.

Who does Cadillac Play?

In recent years, the league that Cadillac participates in has shown tremendous growth. Many communities around the Cadillac area now participate in Pop Warner, which allows Cadillac to stay "local" most of the time. Mesick, Manton, McBain, Marion, Pine River, Evart and Lake City are just a few communities that frequently play and host games involving Cadillac teams. For an example of game schedules, you can see examples of typical game schedules on the Teams Page. The current season is available as well as links to past seasons. Cadillac usually has multiple teams in the same division, but have not had Cadillac vs. Cadillac games for the past five years and strive to avoid this. There are times when Cadillac teams may travel as far and Traverse City, Benzie Central, Manistee or Frankfort depending on conference and division alignments.

Do I have to buy any equipment?

Cadillac Football League (CFL) provides padded football pants, jerseys, shoulder pads, helmets and mouthguards. Parents are responsible for purchasing appropriate socks, cleats and ahtletic supporters (cups). While athletic supporters are not mandated by Pop Warner or League rules, it is strongly recommended that this equipment be used. It should also be noted that equipment provided by CFL is for use in one season and must be returned at the conclusion of each season. Equipment supplied by CFL should never be modified without first talking to a coach, the CFL equipment manager or another association official.

When does practice start?

The league that CFL participates in starts its game season on the Saturday following Labor Day weekend each year. Practice starts three weeks prior to this date.

How long is the season / How many games are played?

Three weeks of practice prior to the first game, six games one week apart and the potential seventh "Jamboree" game equals a 10-11 week program. The "regular season" is six weeks long, starting the Saturday after Labor and ending six weekends later. Some seasons are extended one week for teams qualifying and chosing to participate in the optional "Jamboree" game.

How often/how long is practice?

The first week of practice is for conditioning and will be four days, usually 1-1/2 to 2 hours long each day. These are helmets only practices. The second week of practice is also considered a conditioning week and again will be four days, usually 1-1/2 to 2 hours long each day. In week three and after, when games are scheduled, only two padded practices are allowed. Depending on the coach and the team, there may be a third practice, which will be helmets only and is usually a shorter practice. Practice scheduling is done by the head coach of the team. Parents should always contact the head coach to find out when practice is to be held or if a player is going to miss practice.

When are games played?

Games are always played on Saturdays. Each week, five or six sites are chosen to host a day of games. Game schedules vary depending on travel distance and matchups. Games may have a kick off time as early as 9:00 am or as late as 6:00 pm depending on how many games a site is hosting. Most associations use their high school footbal field for Pop Warner games. Schedules on these fields are limited and referee availabity is also limited. This is the reason for the hosting sites schedule creation. Occasionally, because of the way scheduling is done, it is possible, for example, that Mesick and Cadillac would travel to Pine River to play their game. All scheduling is done by the league (Grand Traverse YMCA), CFL has no control over it and cannot change it. There are over 30 communities and 70 teams in our league, which makes scheduling very complex. Please be understanding and consider this complexity when the game scheduling seems strange.

Is Cadillac Pop Warner affiliated with Cadillac Schools or CASA?

Cadillac Pop Warner is not associated with the Cadillac School system or CASA. All three organizations work cooperatively, but CFL is a "stand alone" organization. All complaints or questions should directed to CFL or the Grand Traverse YMCA.

What are the age and weight limits for Pop Warner Football?

The Grand Traverse YMCA Pop Warner League that CFL is a part of offers two age/weight divisions for football; Jr. Midget and Jr. PeeWee. For 2007 the Jr. Midget (10-12 years old) weight range is 85-135 pounds. The Jr. PeeWee (8-10 years old) weight range is 60-105 pounds. Both divisions offer an older/lighter category for players that are not large enough to move up the next division of play. For Jr. PeeWee, 11 years olds weighing between 60-85 pounds can participate. For Jr. Midget, 13 year olds weighing between 85-115 pounds can participate. Age and weight divisions are created and maintained by Pop Warner at a national level. Neither CFL nor the Grand Traverse YMCA can change or make exceptions to these rules. You can view the age/weight divisions for Pop Warner on the Pop Warner Website.

How is Pop Warner structured, is Cadillac part of a bigger league?

Pop Warner is structured at a national level using an assocation - league - region hierarchy. CFL is an association within the Grand Traverse YMCA league which is part of the Mid-America Region. For an organizational chart of this structure use this link. To see a complete list of the leagues and associations in Michigan use this link. The listings include all associations that play in the Grand Traverse YMCA Pop Warner League.

How is Pop Warner associated with the YMCA?

Pop Warner is not directly affiliated with the YMCA at a national level. The league in which Cadillac participates is run from the Grand Traverse YMCA league, which governs a region in Michigan as far south as Evart/Clare and north to Mackinaw bridge. East to West the league nearly reaches I-75 and stops at Lake Michigan. The Cadillac Area YMCA participates in local cooperative events (such as football camps) with the Cadillac Pop Warner football association, but it not affiliated with Pop Warner on any larger level. Pop Warner football in this area of Michigan is specific only to the Grand Traverse YMCA.