Lower Sussex Pop Warner registration opens for fall season

The Pop Warner fall football season may still be months away, but sign-ups for tomorrow’s stars is up and running. Starting this weekend, young football players, cheerleaders and mascots for Lower Sussex Pop Warner can register for the upcoming fall season by stopping by the Lower Sussex Little League complex in Roxana.

“In our 2010 year,” said Jason Killen, president of the Lower Sussex Pop Warner league, “we had close to 200 kids between our football and cheerleading programs. That number fell off a little last year, but we hope to get it back up again.”

Lower Sussex Pop Warner’s league was divided up between three age groups last year: the Mighty Mites (7- to 9-year-olds), the Junior Pee Wees (9- to 11-year-olds) and Pee Wees (10- to 12-year-olds). Tryouts to determine league placement will be held as the Aug. 1 season opener approaches.

This year, Killen hopes to increase enough participation to welcome back the Midget football league, too, accommodating players ages 11 through 15.

“Before I had stepped in on the board,” said Killen, who is entering his fifth year with Lower Sussex Pop Warner, “we had a really strong Midget program. But with the numbers going down, we haven’t had enough kids out here to form a team at that age group.”

Part of the trouble with establishing the Midget league comes with competing for registration against the middle-school teams. By the time most young athletes are advancing from the Pee Wee league, they are hitting middle-school age.

“We understand the [appeal] of the middle-school teams, but sometimes,” said Killen, “these kids may not get the chance to see much playing time [on the middle-school teams]. With Pop Warner, every kid practices and plays, all season long. We really want to establish these teams as best as we can.”

The Lower Sussex Pop Warner season gets under way the first day of August and runs through November.

They have also worked closely with other youth athletic entities, such as Lower Sussex Little League, to best reach their clientele.

“We’re working on updating our Web site and establishing our Facebook page, too,” said Killen. “We’re doing what we can to get the word out to the entire community.”

Sign-ups for the season will begin on Saturday, March 17, from 8 a.m. until noon at the Lower Sussex Little League meeting room in Roxana, above the concession stand. Registration will continue on Saturday, March 24, at the same locations and same time, as well.

The cost to register for Pop Warner is $75 per child. Registration is currently open for football players and cheerleaders, ages 7 through 15, and cheer mascots, ages 5 and 6. Interested parents are required to bring a medical release, a copy of their birth certificate and a current wallet-size picture of their child.

Completed registration forms are also required, and will be available at the Lower Sussex Little League complex during sign-ups, and can also be found online by visiting www.leaguelineup.com/lsi. A fourth-quarter report card must be submitted, as well, once they are issued this spring.

“The Pop Warner program is a really great opportunity for kids to get out there and enjoy the game at a young age,” said Killen. “You see the success that teams are having at Selbyville Middle School and at Indian River High School. Pop Warner serves as a strong feeder program for those programs.”

For more information, visit the Web site at www.leaguelineup.com/lsi or call Jason Killen at (302) 858-2725 or Jay McGee, vice-president of Lower Sussex Pop Warner football, at (302) 448-9268.