Pop Warner Little Scholars Pop Warner Little Scholars ( also known as Pop Warner , Pop Warner Football ) is a non - profit organization that provides youth football , cheerleading , and dance programs for participants in 43 U . S . state s and several countries around the world . It is headquartered in Langhorne , Pennsylvania . Consisting of approximately 425 , 000 + young people ranging from ages 5 to 16 years old , Pop Warner is the largest and oldest national youth football , cheer and dance organization in the United States . It is also the only youth sports organization with an academic requirement . History . In 1929 , the owner of a new factory in Northeast Philadelphia enlisted the aid of a young friend , Joseph J . Tomlin , to solve a recurring problem . The factory ' s huge ground - to - floor windows were constantly being shattered - 100 broken windows in just one month - by teenagers hurling stones from a nearby vacant lot . Joe Tomlin , an enthusiastic athlete who had excelled in sports in high school and college , had a possible answer . Since the other factories in the area were also being plagued by the young vandals , he suggested that the building owners get together to fund an athletic program for the kids . In those days , the city did not have organized recreation programs to keep idle kids occupied and out of trouble . The owners agreed , and asked Tomlin to set up a program . Commuting from his job as a stockbroker in New York City , he returned to his home in Philadelphia each weekend . Fall was approaching , so football seemed a logical choice to begin the new project . He set up a schedule for a four - team Junior Football Conference in time for the 1929 season . Then October came , and with it the collapse of the stock market . He left New York and returned to Philadelphia to concentrate on youth work . By 1933 , the Junior Football Conference had expanded to 16 teams . That year Glenn Scobey " Pop " Warner , already a legend among active football coaches , arrived in Philadelphia to coach the Temple Owls . Joe Tomlin met Pop Warner at a winter banquet and asked him to lecture at a spring clinic Tomlin was planning for his JFC teams . On the evening of April 19 , 1934 , the temperature dropped to an unseasonable low , with high winds and torrential rain mixed with sleet . Of the dozen area college football coaches scheduled to speak at the clinic , only Pop Warner showed up . The 800 excited young football players kept him talking and answering questions for two hours . By the end of the evening , by popular acclaim , the fledgling youth program was renamed the Pop Warner Conference . The prestigious Warner name was a powerful attraction . By 1938 , there were 157 teams . Most of the players were at least 15 years old and a few were even over 30 . Competition was organized along top weights only , except for the youngest kids . Teams represented neighborhoods in the city , while suburban teams represented towns . During the depression years , a large number of kids left school . Tomlin , a great believer in the importance of education , fought the trend with literature and speakers . He also arranged for tutors for " marginal " kids who wanted to stay in school . When World War II came , the Pop Warner Conference lost most of its older players . Some squads folded , while others merged . Only 42 teams remained . Although the Conference rebounded to 100 teams in the 1947 season , there was a shift in membership . Many of the returning service - men abandoned football . Increasingly , the teams were composed of 15 - year - olds or younger . Rules were set up for their benefit , including minimum and maximum weights . The era of " midget football " had begun . The first " kiddie " bowl game , called the Santa Claus Bowl , was played on December 27 , 1947 , in 6 inches of snow before 2000 freezing spectators . The Clickets midget team , sponsored by Palumbo ' s , a Philadelphia supper club , competed against Frank Sinatra ' s Cyclones , a New York team . The Philadelphia team won the game , 6 - 0 , and the Philadelphia Pop Warner Conference won the attention of the nation for the first time . As football for kids began to develop in communities across the country , Tomlin was deluged with requests for help in starting teams . By the early 1950s , he was determined to " go national . " Although he had some supporters , he also had detractors . Many people were convinced that tackle football was too dangerous for kids . Joe told them that the Philadelphia midget program had operated for 15 years without a fatality or serious injury . They wouldn ' t listen . In 1953 , he spoke at the National Education Association symposium on " Sports for Youth " in Washington , D . C . He suggested to the attendees that a liaison should be formed between the sports and educational establishments for the good of the students . They wouldn ' t listen . But there were others who did . Among them : the American Football Coaches Association which bestowed its coveted " Stagg Award " on Joe Tomlin in 1955 for his pioneering work among youth ; a major national insurance underwriter which offered a plan with rates based on empirical evidence that tackle football for kids is as safe as its proponents claimed ; and Bert Bell , then NFL Commissioner , who , shortly before his death , agreed to introduce the PW program to team owners to gain their support nationally . Tomlin ' s dream finally became a reality when Pop Warner Little Scholars was officially incorporated as a national non - profit organization in 1959 . The name was selected to underscore the basic concept of Pop Warner - that the classroom is as important as the playing field . Walt Disney , attracted by this philosophy , filmed a two - hour show , " Moochie of Pop Warner Football " . It aired on ABC in 1960 , and can still be seen today on the Disney cable channel . In the 1960s , Pop Warner Football burgeoned in small hamlets , mid - sized cities and metropolitan areas from coast to coast . By the end of the decade there were over 3000 teams . But football was for boys and girls felt left out . Cheering from the stands wasn ' t enough . They wanted , somehow , to share in the excitement and fun down on the field . So Pop Warner introduced a new activity : cheerleading . The girls loved it , and during the 1970s this new branch of Pop Warner grew rapidly . In 1983 , in response to many requests , a flag football program was initiated . Originally designed for teams on a tight budget , this sport has become an excellent training ground for tackle leagues . Today , there are over 400 , 000 boys and girls , ages 5 – 16 , participating in Pop Warner programs in the United States . Teams in Mexico , Japan and other countries have also joined the " Pop Warner family . " There are now over 5 , 000 football teams , playing in eight different age / weight classifications . Cheerleading programs have expanded beyond the traditional " sideline squads " to include performing groups such as majorettes , pom squads , dancing boots and pep squads . The first National Cheerleading Competition was held in 1988 and now shares the spotlight with the annual Pop Warner Super Bowl , held each year at Walt Disney World . Pop Warner Super Bowl . Each year , Pop Warner Little Scholars , Inc . hosts the Pop Warner Super Bowl and National Cheer and Dance Championships . For the past 14 years , the event has taken place at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista , FL during the first full week of December . The Pop Warner Football Championships ( referred to as the Pop Warner Super Bowl ) are divided into teams competing in Division I and Division II . 64 football teams compete for National Championships in 4 different age / weight ranges ( Jr . Pee Wee , Pee Wee , Jr . Midget & Midget ) . In order to advance to the Pop Warner Super Bowl , a team must win its respective League Championship as well as the Regional Championship . Each advancing team is guaranteed to play two games at the Super Bowl , with a National Champion being crowned in each age - weight division and competition level . Pop Warner National Cheer and Dance Championships . For a cheerleading or dance squad , the difficult road to the national championship is quite similar to that of the football teams ' . A spirit squad will showcase their best ( 2 : 30 ) two minute and thirty second routine complete with music and cheering at a league championship level . The top 2 squads advance to regional competition in each small and large category , Novice , Intermediate and Advanced . At regional competition , a spirit squad will again perform their top ( 2 : 30 ) two - minute and thirty second routine in hopes of winning . The first and second place squads in the region in each small and large category , Novice , Intermediate and Advanced are invited to perform at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in hopes of winning a national championship for their local association . The participants in the Pop Warner program are unique as opposed to those of other programs . While they are taught about the values of competition , they are also maintaining their grades at a satisfactory level in order to attain the ultimate prize of being named a Pop Warner National Champion . Academic requirements . Pop Warner Little Scholars , Inc . ( PWLS ) was the first youth sports organization in America that required its participants to perform adequately in the classroom before permitting them to play . Competing organizations such as American Youth Football have similar requirements . Pop Warner believes that the standards they have set give these children a sense of responsibility and an appreciation for academics and athletics that will help them develop later on in life . Like such organizations as the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) and National Federation of High Schools ( NFHS ) , PWLS has academic guidelines and criteria that need to be met in order for a child to participate . Proof of satisfactory progress in school is required . A 2 . 0 / 70 % or the equivalent shall be the minimum grade point average acceptable to participate . All - American Scholar Program . Each year , the most academically accomplished Pop Warner kids compete for Academic All - American status . This process begins at the association level and up through each of the eight Pop Warner regions to the national level . In 2010 , over 400 , 000 kids participated in Pop Warner . 280 + First Team members , over 5 , 000 Second Team members and 2 , 000 + Honorable Mention scholars were named as Academic All - Americans at the National Level for 2008 - 2009 . The PWLS All - American Program requires a minimum 96 % grade point average to apply for All - American status . After the applications have been processed , Pop Warner determines National First Team All - Americans ( 35 football , 35 cheer per grade ) , National Second Team All - Americans and National Honorable Mention Scholars . All - American selection process . A final score is calculated for each student that consists of up to 100 points ( 85 % ) for the student ' s grades for the prior school year , along with up to 18 points ( 15 % ) awarded for the attached Addendum sheet of activities and achievements . Once the scores have been calculated , First Team All - Americans are selected . The top 35 football players and 25 cheerleaders per grade ( plus ties ) are selected as National First Team All - Americans . Second Team All - Americans are then determined by Pop Warner based upon the number of applications that were submitted for that year . Annual Scholastic Banquet . Pop Warner hosts an awards program each year to celebrate the accomplishments of their participants . Scholarships are awarded and those that have contributed and served as exemplary ambassadors for Pop Warner , are recognised . Nationally , First Team , Second Team and Honorable Mention All - Americans are selected , and scholarships for higher education to the most deserving students in grades 8 and above are awarded . The Pop Warner Scholastic Banquet has become a staple at Disney venues . Through 2009 , the event alternated annually between Disneyland and Walt Disney World . However , beginning in 2010 with the special 50th Annual Scholastic Banquet , the venue will be rotated across the country . The 2010 Scholastic Banquet took place in Philadelphia , the birthplace of Pop Warner Little Scholars , Inc . , while the 2011 All - American Scholar Weekend was held in downtown Chicago at the Marriott , Magnificent Mile . In 2012 it was held at Disney ' s Beach Club Resort in Lake Buena Vista . In 2013 it was held in Boston . In 2014 it will be held in Back at Disney World at a yet to be announced location . All Scholastic All - Americans ( 1st Team , 2nd Team & Honorable Mention ) are eligible to attend the PWLS National All - American Banquet . Scholar tributes . Since the Dinner Program is a balance of recognizing adult honorees and the Scholars , the morning ceremony provides the opportunity to focus solely on the children . This informal event will include brief congratulatory remarks from various speakers . Those Scholars who attend will receive a certificate if they are the First or Second team . Senior Scholars ( 8th grade and above First Team All - Americans ) will receive an engraved plaque . Every Scholar present will also receive gifts donated by Pop Warner sponsors , companies , and various NFL Teams . A professional photographer will also be on hand to capture the moments of every child being honored . Dinner banquet . In the evening , Pop Warner recognizes its top scholar - athletes and deserving adults outside of Pop Warner who have contributed to the advancement of academics and athletics in the United States . Various Pop Warner friends and supporters are awarded each year for their contributions towards serving the youth and community . These awardees range from various public figures to businessmen to professional athletes . A special highlight of the evening is always the announcement of scholarships to those First Team All - Americans in 8th grade and above . Since 1993 , nearly $ 1 , 000 , 000 in scholarship dollars has been awarded through the Pop Warner Awards Program . Age and weight divisions . The ages in ( parenthesis ) in each division allow the so - called " older but lighter " player to also qualify . The last year of eligibility falls under more stringent weight restrictions , per above . All games feature eight minute quarters , a smaller size football , and a smaller sized football field . Controversy . In 2011 , the Northborough , Southborough T - Hawks of Massachusetts decided to move to American Youth Football and were subsequently sued by Pop Warner Little Scholars . by giving $ 55 , 000 of its bankroll plus $ 20 , 000 worth of equipment to Pop Warner to secure their release from National Pop Warner . PWLS claimed the funds were to be used to maintain a Pop Warner presence in the town . As of 2012 , Pop Warner has not attempted to field teams in Northborough - Southborough , MA and the community is still wondering where funds donated have been allocated