The Scripps Ranch Pop Warner Football and Cheer Association will hold an opening day celebration at the Scripps Ranch Recreation Center, and regular season games begin Aug. 25. (photos by John Gregory)
Pop Warner stresses conduct and safety
When it comes to Kari Sullivan, president of Scripps Ranch Pop Warner Football and Cheer Association, it’s impossible to avoid the fact that the sport nearly runs in her blood. Her dad was a Pop Warner coach.
“He didn’t have any sons, but he did have me,” Sullivan said. “He loved football, so I would go along with him and watch him coach. I grew up loving football.”
All four of her children have roots in the Pop Warner program. Even her daughter, now a high school freshman, has been involved with the program’s cheerleading sector for years.
“My two-year-old son said to me one day, ‘Mommy, I want to play football,’ and I said, ‘Well, that’s great but you’re two,’” Sullivan said. “He repeated that to me every single year until he was eligible to play.”
With this in mind, Sullivan’s position as the president of the Scripps Ranch Pop Warner league makes perfect sense. She said it’s really about making the sport something both the kids and their families can love. Sullivan said her greatest hope is that kids walk away from practice being generally well-rounded individuals.
“We talk a lot about conduct, on and off the field, because I think one of the main things football teaches kids is discipline and teamwork,” Sullivan said. “Those things translate to off-the-field activities, too. It’s really important that whether they’re with us, not with us or at home … that they’re being their best selves.”
Sullivan said one of the league’s primary considerations will always be safety.
“All of our coaches, all of our staff and volunteers are concussion trained,” Sullivan said. “All of our coaches are, in addition to that, Heads Up Football trained, which is a training mechanism for teaching kids how to tackle with their heads in the right position.”
Sullivan said it’s all about ensuring kids know the best techniques to approach tackling. On top of this, she said the equipment is frequently updated and inspected.
Teams are now gearing up for the fall season. Practices began Aug. 1. Families of local Scripps Ranch Pop Warner players and cheerleaders are invited to an opening day celebration from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 19 at the Scripps Ranch Recreation Center, 11454 Blue Cypress Drive. Regular season games begin Aug. 25. Visit ScrippsRanchPopWarner.com.