Douglas Pop Warner
P.O. Box 307 Minden NV 89423
March 2015
To: Coach Applicants
From: Jim Valentine, President
Re: 2015 Season
Dear Coach Applicant,
It’s that time of year again - time to get your application in and renew your contract, or, if you are new, to
join us for the 2015 season! Enclosed is a Volunteer Application and a Coach's Contract for you to complete
and return. Return instructions below. If you want to be a Head Coach submit your application before
MARCH 31st.
The Board would like to approve Head Coaches and as many assistants as possible as soon as we can. As
usual, we will approve those assistants that have their material submitted so the head coaches can review
who is available to assist them and make their staff selections accordingly. If you know somebody that wants
to coach give him/her a copy of this entire package, or call us with his name and address, or email address
and I'll send him a package. We will also have it on the website to download, douglaspopwarner.com. Let’s
get these apps in so we can start shaping up your coaching staffs.
The 2015 DPW Executive Board and Board of Trustees:
Jim Valentine - President
Jessie Fair – Trustee
Mindy Miller - Vice-President
Dennis White - Trustee
Tina Alaniz - Secretary
Lisa Wetzel – Trustee
Wendy Stegemann – Treasurer
Patti Romanelli - Trustee
Tasha Hamilton – Cheer Coordinator
Erin Inman – Scholastics Coordinator
Mike Dillon – Director of Football Operations
What's new in 2015?
There are some exciting new things going on in Sagebrush. The Galena faction of the SYFL had a major
migration to Reno Pop Warner, around 150 athletes. Hawthorne and Silverstage are looking to grow.
Fernley, South Tahoe, and North Tahoe have new presidents and e-boards. The League has good maturity in
its leadership and is helping the new administrators find their way. As you know if you’ve been involved
before, there are a lot of administrative requirements put on the City Associations that take time to learn
about and implement correctly. Sagebrush is working together better than I’ve ever seen it thanks to the
great leadership we are privileged to have with Robert Bates and Gary Archie at the helm and their
supporting cast.
Thanks to our own Lisa Wetzel and Jessie Fair Sagebrush has a Facebook page. It has strict guidelines for
positive comments and positioning of Pop Warner. This was created after reading the many falsehoods put
forth on the Facebook page of the competing tackle league in Northern Nevada. Example: They say on their
page that Pop Warner in Sagebrush only has 450 members. Reno and Sparks each exceed that number. We
are not, however, making any derogatory statements about them, only putting forth the truth about Pop
Warner and Sagbebrush Empire. It has grown quickly and is getting excellent contributions from many
cities. One of my favorite came from Justin with Silverstage. Our Board has voted to incorporate it in our
Parent Handbook:
Your child’s success or lack of success in sports does not indicate what kind of parent you are.
But having an athlete that is coachable, respectful, a great teammate, mentally tough, resilient and tries their
best IS a direct reflection of your parenting.
Get signed up on the page and enjoy the passionate input that is already being shared. As new stuff comes
from National it is being posted on the page right away.
Heads UP Football has had great success despite the rocky administrative start we had last year. You can
find an article on the Sagebrush Facebook page bestowing the fact that programs using the Heads Up system
have seen a 76% decline in injuries. Enclosed you will find the Heads Up Practice Guidelines for Youth
Tackle Football. There will be much more emphasis this year on implementing the protocols required by
Heads Up. That will include attendance at your parent meeting by one of only two Sagebrush e-board
members that are going to monitor every presentation for content. It is that important. You will need to
schedule your presentation to coincide with their availability.
Things seem to be going better between Sagebrush and the Region. The Region appears to finally
understand what we have been asking for all these years. Having the information from the Regional event
held in Sagebrush this year helped to confirm what had been suspected all along. Thanks to the help of all of
the cities in Sagebrush and many of you, the event in Reno was a success on the field, in the stands, and in
the checkbook. The profit to Sagebrush exceeded $16,000 which went to benefit every city in two ways.
Part of it was used to pay our per athlete payment to the Region this year, $3.63 each, and the balance is
going to advertising to help us all with our signups.
National has established a new weight matrix that includes substantial changes.
There are several noteworthy items. Note that the in-season increase allowance is a maximum of 4 pounds,
and the increases are every other week. Note, too, that bottom weights have increased on all but Tiny Mite
and Unlimited. Usually they increase the top end, but keep the bottom end static.
The increase for Jr. Midget to 155 may have an impact on our Unlimited participation. It is important for
everyone to understand that in Douglas our Unlimited team is also an unofficial “8th Grade Football” team.
It is the last year before they become Freshmen, and in our program today they are learning things that will
set them up to play at Douglas High. Most 8th graders should look seriously at playing 8th Grade Football
regardless of weight, Unlimited.
Division II and Division III – Sagebrush has asked for a variance to the rule that says you must play at least
half your games against opponents in your level of play, i.e.- DII or DIII. Some of the teams in Sagebrush
are clearly DII teams and not getting the challenge they should have when the advance to post-season play.
Additionally, the DIII teams are thwarted the opportunity to advance because they are playing teams that are
much stronger than they are and should be in a higher division. Good chance this will be approved. The
assignment to your level of play will come after the season starts. Teams will be evaluated and assigned by
Sagebrush, not by the choice of the City Association. Based on the past decade-plus, chances are excellent
that the results of your efforts will have you playing in DII this year. Yes, that means you are in the flow to
qualify to go to Florida to play in the Superbowl. You don’t have to, however. This is an involved topic that
we can discuss together at our clinic. Thought – if we had a team qualify last year they would have gone to
Spokane to qualify for National. The Spokane and Orlando trips would combine to cost about $100,000, and
take 14 days. There are pros and cons. We will evaluate and assess on a team-specific and situational basis.
2015 DPW Update
We are still without an Equipment Manager. We have three strong volunteers and we are looking to have
them work together for the benefit of all. The lack of hiring is due to administration just not acting on it. As
usual, we will be looking for help from our coaches to get the equipment ready for distribution.
We are considering menu suggestions for the snackbar. You spend a lot of time at the field. Is there
anything that you would like to have the opportunity to eat or drink while you are there? The snackbar is a
service to help you, the athletes and the parents be comfortable while we are all together. Let us know your
ideas so they can be considered. You can email them to dpwtigers@hotmail.com and I will get them to the
Board. Don’t hold back, you might just have the next great idea that will create a lot of smiles!
Carson Valley Days Parade – The theme this year is “Orange and Black Tiger Pride”. Couldn’t be more
appropriate for us! Kelly White won first place last year with her first float effort on our behalf. She then
did our award winning float for the Parade of Lights, and is now our official Parade Float Coordinator. She
has already started working on this year’s float. Plan on joining us in the parade if you can. Would be great
to have our great Douglas coaches on display on June 13th. Pump up your kids and friends – everybody is
welcome. Pump, pump, pump it up! Pump that TIGER Sprit up!!!
The Board recently committed to a new communication app that will help us communicate better. It is being
worked on right now. The app is for smartphones and tablets, i-phone and Android based equipment. It will
not allow two-way messaging like our prior texting program did, but it will allow us to get important
messages distributed quickly when necessary. We are hoping to have it up and running before Super Sunday
VERY IMPORTANT! Clinics. We will have our annual Head Coach clinic sooner this year. There will
also be a Sagebrush Clinic for at least TM and MM, maybe other levels this year as well. Our mandatory
coach clinic will be closer to the end of July this year. Mike is working on all of it. You will also be
required to take the Heads Up online course, even if you took it last year. Everybody must take that to be on
the field. Remember that there must be 2 First Aid qualified staff members on each team.
The Tigerthon prize is over the top this year! Lisa has been trying for ten years to get this one done and it
finally fell in to place. There are limited quantities of the prizes in each size so it is important that everybody
hit the ground running so they don’t miss out. If we run out of a specific size there is no re-ordering. This
was a one-time opportunity. We ordered a bunch, but nobody should be laggard in their efforts this year or
they may be disappointed. The prize – a zip-up and/or snap letterman’s looking jacket with detachable hood.
They are in a local warehouse waiting for the artwork to be approved so they can be embroidered.
We need more referees. Chris Witbeck will train them. Do you know somebody that would want to ref?
Have them call Chris right away – 849-3666.
You can scan and email your application to dpwtigers@hotmail.com, fax to 775-552-8585, or drop it off at
RE/MAX Realty Affiliates, 1320 Highway 395, Gardnerville, NV 89410.
Thank you for your interest in coaching and your continued interest in Douglas Pop Warner. The program is
important for the many boys and girls that participate and your role is vital for the success of the program.
Regardless of what we do year ‘round as administrators, what you do on the practice and game fields is
where "the rubber meets the road" in this organization. You are the key players and we appreciate your
commitment, passion and contribution to this wonderful thing we all enjoy, Douglas Pop Warner. We are
committed to creating POSITIVE lifetime memories for our participants. Thanks.
Sincerely,
Jim
Jim Valentine, President
dpwtigers@hotmail.com
775-781-3704
“WINNING IS A BY-PRODUCT OF GOOD COACHING!”
“Coach Deep. You are only as strong as your weakest link!”
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Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc.
2015 Official Volunteer Application (Complete BOTH Pages) Do NOT use forms from previous years.
PLEASE NOTE: A copy of a valid government-issued photo identification must be attached to this application.
Legal Name:
Date:
Special professional training, skills, hobbies:
Prior/Maiden Names or Aliases:
Community affiliations (Clubs, Service Organizations, etc.):
Address:
Telephone:
Email:
City:
State:
Zip:
Previous/current volunteer experience (e.g. baseball/softball and years):
Mailing Address (if different):
Do you have children in the program?
Previous states resided in the past 5 years:
If yes, at what level?
Date of Birth:
Special Certification (i.e. CPR, Medical, etc.):
(mm / dd / yyyy)
Have you ever been charged with or convicted of a felony?
YES
NO
YES
NO
Social Security Number:
If yes, provide your current legal status (parole, etc.)
Occupation:
Have you ever been convicted of any crime involving or against a minor?
Employer:
YES
Address:
NO
Have you ever plead guilty to,been convicted of or involved with any other type of crime?
YES
NO
Do you have a valid driver’s license?
Driver’s License#:
YES
NO
Have you ever been refused participation in any other youth programs?
State:
YES
NO
If YES to ANY of the above, explain:
In which of the following would you like to participate? ("X" one or more.)
League Official:
Head Coach:
Board Member:
Equipment Manager.
Team Mom:
Coach Trainee:
Trainer:
Student Demo:
Assist. Coach:
Other:
Association Name: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Privacy Policy: Your privacy is important to us. PWLS does not sell or release contact information to any non-affilaited organization. However, Pop Warner and its partners may contact
you with essential program information as well as special offers and promotions. Please be advised that partners are not permitted to retain your information for non-Pop Warner use
unless you specifically grant them permission. Please contact the PWLS National Office in writing for opt out information.
Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc.
Official 2015 Volunteer Application. (Page 2) Do NOT use forms from past years. (Complete BOTH Pages)
PLEASE NOTE: A copy of a valid government-issued photo identification must be attached to this application.
Name:
Phone #:
Nature of Relationship:
I hereby swear and attest that all information provided on this application is true and complete to the fullest extent of my knowledge. If I am accepted as a volunteer, Pop Warner may end the relationship immediately if I have
made any false statements or material misrepresentations, written or verbal. As a condition of volunteering, I hereby grant permission to Pop Warner to conduct a background check on me, which may include a review of
database records including but not limited to sex offender registries, child abuse and criminal history records in compliance with Pop Warner's child protection policy. I understand and agree that, if appointed, my position is
conditional upon the league receiving no inappropriate information on my background. I hereby release and agree to hold harmless from liability the local Pop Warner, Pop Warner Little Scholars, Incorporated, the officers,
employees and volunteers thereof, and/or any other person or organization that may provide such information.
I also understand that, regardless of previous appointments, Pop Warner is not obligated to appoint me to a volunteer position. I understand that, prior to the expiration of my term, I am subject to suspension by the President
and removal by the Board of Directors for any and all violations of Pop Warner policies or principles. Furthermore, I hereby attest that all contact information provided herein is up to date and I hereby grant Pop Warner Little
Scholars. Inc. and its partners permission to utilize such contact information for communications and promotions during my tenure as a volunteer.
Binding Arbitration Policy:
If appointed, I hereby understand and agree that any and all civil disputes by and between myself, Pop Warner and any and all affiliated parties will be subject to binding arbitration in the locale of the Pop
Warner Little Scholars, Inc. National Office in Langhorne, PA in accordance with Pennsylvania law under the guidelines and rules of the American Arbitration Association. I hereby agree that this binding
arbitration shall be in lieu of any litigation by and between myself, Pop Warner and any and all affiliated parties. If any portion of this application shall be deemed unenforceable or invalid, this arbitration
agreement shall still remain in full force and effect.
Applicant Signature
Date
Applicant Name (Print or Type):
NOTE: Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc.will not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, marital status, gender, sexual orientation or disability.
For Local Use Only. Below please print the legal name of the individual who performed the background check on the applicant and name of the local organization.
Background check completed by Association officer:
or
Background check completed by League officer:
or
completed by:
Date Completed:
System(s) used for background check (minimum of one must have "X"):
Online multistate database:
(Choicepoint, etc.)
State/Federal Criminal History Records:
FEDERAL Sex Offender Registry
**NOTE: A State Sex Offender Registry check alone is NOT sufficient to comply with Article 21 and MUST be
Other (please explain):
supplemented by one or more of the above.
LEAGUES: You must maintain copies of background check results at the league level for the duration of the volunteer's service.
NATIONAL PRACTICE
GUIDELINES FOR YOUTH
TACKLE FOOTBALL
Background
USA Football is committed to advancing player safety to protect the health and well-being of
every child. In addition to coaching education, a key element of player health and safety is the
responsibility of all coaches to conduct organized practices and teach proper fundamentals in a
safer environment. There are approximately 10,000 youth tackle football organizations in the United
States. Within these are approximately 2.5 million young athletes who play and 400,000 adults who
coach.
Purpose
The purpose of these guidelines is to provide youth football organizations (players age 6 to 14) with
recommendations to establish consistent methods designed to limit the chance for injury during
structured practice sessions. This document provides youth football commissioners and coaches
with heat acclimatization guidelines, clear definitions of contact and recommendation on the
number of practices per week and time limits on player-to-player full contact.
There is much to be learned about head impacts in youth sports. We remain committed to adopting
the best evidence-based practices. We recognize that even with the latest research available,
there is no clear consensus in this area. Accordingly, we will update these recommendations and
guidelines in accordance with the evidence. Ideally, this emerging data will help us understand the
potential for long-term adverse cognitive, emotional and/or neurological effects from concussions
and/or other repeated head contact without associated symptoms. Based on what is known
about concussions today, the guiding principles in developing these recommendations were to
reasonably limit head contact and thus concussion risk.
GUIDELINE 1
Implementing a preseason youth football heat acclimatization period
Reported cases of exertional heat stroke (EHS) currently rank among the top-three causes of
sport participation fatalities. Setting mandatory guidelines for heat acclimatization provides a
vital standard to protect athletes against exertional heat illnesses and possibly save lives. The
majority of EHS cases occur during summer workouts when athletes are unprepared to cope with
environmental conditions and physiological demands placed upon them. Heat acclimatization
guidelines recommend that athletes be introduced slowly to environmental stresses during
practice sessions, resulting in a lowered risk for EHS. These guidelines call for a two-week period
(10-14 days) when coaches gradually increase the length and intensity of practice and the amount of
equipment that can be worn. At all times, athletes should have access to fluids and have periods of
rest throughout a practice.
Recommendations include:
1. At no time throughout the preseason or regular season should teams practice more than once per day (No two-a-day practices). Teams should be allowed to practice a maximum of four times per week during the preseason.
2. During practice days 1 and 2 of the heat-acclimatization period, no more than 90 minutes of practice are allowed, a helmet should be the only protective equipment permitted. No form of player-to-player contact should occur during the first two practices.
3.
During practice days 3 and 4, two hours of total practice time is allowed. Only helmets and shoulder pads should be worn. No full-contact drills should be allowed. USA Football defines full-contact as drills being run at “Thud” and “Live” tempo. Coaches are encouraged to limit player-to-player contact up to “Control” using USA Football’s Levels of Contact.
4.
On practice days 5 and 6, two hours of practice time is allowed which would occur within the second week of a youth organization’s preseason schedule according to these guidelines. Teams have the option to wear full pads and full contact drills can begin and should be utilized within the recommended time allocation discussed below.
5. If a practice is interrupted by inclement weather or heat restrictions on any of the practice days, the practice should resume once conditions are deemed safe.
6. On days when environmental conditions (heat index or WBGT) are extreme, modifications should be made to the work-to-rest ratio (to allow for cool-down periods and rehydration) or rescheduled to cooler parts of the day (i.e. before 10am or after 6pm).
GUIDELINE 2
Ensure all youth coaches understand the definition of “full contact”
Full-contact drills should be limited during the preseason and regular season as the number of
exposures may increase the chance for injury to youth players. For purposes of these guidelines,
full-contact consists of both “Thud” and “Live Action” using USA Football’s definitions of Levels of
Contact.
Rationale: By definition, “Thud” involves initiation of contact at full speed with no pre-
determined winner, but no take-down to the ground. Initial contact, particularly with linemen, is just as physical with “Thud” as with “Live Action.” USA Football recognizes that “Live Action” likely carries a higher injury risk to the body than does “Thud.” The first three levels of USA Football Levels of Contact “Air,” “Bags,” and “Control” are considered no-
or controlled-contact, and thus no limitations are placed on their use in practice.
GUIDELINE 3
Recommended number of team practices and amount of “full contact” drills
per week
Preseason Recommendation
Following the preseason acclimatization period, it is recommended youth teams conduct no more
than four practices per week. Coaches are to limit the amount of full-contact to no more than
30 minutes per day and no more than 120 minutes per week. No two-a-day practices should be
allowed at any point throughout the preseason.
Rationale: USA Football recognizes preseason practices may require more full-contact time than practices occurring in the regular season to allow for teaching fundamentals with sufficient repetition to prepare for the season. Coaches are encouraged to introduce
contact through a progressive manner to ensure they are using proper technique before full-contact (Thud & Live Action) drills are allowed.
Regular Season Recommendation
Once the regular season begins and games commence, USA Football recommends the number of
practices per week is decreased to three to account for the weekly game. Coaches are to limit the
amount of full-contact to no more than 30 minutes per day and no more than 90 minutes per week.
Rationale: At this point in the season, games have begun and full-contact exposure rates have increased on a weekly basis for players. To account for this, the recommendation to eliminate one practice per week and decrease the amount of time dedicated to full-contact drills decreases the number of exposures per week.
GUIDELINE 4
Coaches need to use a practice plan and assign a “level of contact” for every
drill according to USA Football’s Level of Contact chart
USA Football defines contact using its Levels of Contact chart (see below) to help coaches assign a
level of resistance for each drill period within their practice plan.
Properly employing the levels of contact during a football practice is an important skill for youth
coaches to learn. This is completed by adjusting the distance between players, the speed at
which they conduct a drill and modifying the “winner” of a drill. In doing this, coaches can better
accomplish specific teaching objectives during practices and decrease the chance for injury.
Planning when to teach, when to compete and when to adjust contact promotes a better
experience for players and coaches. Proper usage of the Levels of Contact system will help players
perform their contact skills at a high level while instilling confidence. Employing the Levels of
Contact system also helps reduce player fatigue, which can advance player safety.
Explaining Levels of Contact.
Levels of Contact focuses on varying intensity levels throughout practices to build player
confidence, ensure their safety and prevent both physical and mental exhaustion.
Five intensity levels are used to introduce players to practice drills which position them to master
the fundamentals and increase skill development.
CONTACT
INTENSITY
DESCRIPTION
Air
0
Players run a drill unopposed without contact.
Bags
1
Drill is run against a bag or another soft-contact surface.
Control
2
Drill is run at assigned speed until the moment of contact; one player is
pre-determined the ‘winner’ by the coach. Contact remains above the
waist and players stay on their feet.
Thud
3
Drill is run at assigned speed to competitive speed through the moment
of contact; no pre-determined “winner.” Contact remains above the
waist, players stay on their feet and a quick whistle ends the drill.
Live Action
4
Drill is run in game-like conditions and is the only time that players are
taken to the ground.
PRACTICE PLAN EXAMPLE WITHIN 30-MINUTE FULL CONTACT
ALLOCATION
PRACTICE PLAN EXAMPLE WITHIN 30-MINUTE FULL CONTACT
ALLOCATION
* USA Football recommends athletes be able to drink fluids at any time during a practice beyond
designated breaks.
References
1. Armstrong LA, Casa D, Millard-Stafford MMS, Moran DM, Pyne SP, Roberts WR. “Exertional Heat Illness during Training and Competition.” Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 556-572, 2007.
2.Casa D, Csillan D: “Preseason Heat-Acclimatization Guidelines for Secondary School Athletics.” The Journal of Athletic Training; 44(3): 332–333, 2009.
3.Casa D, Guskiewicz K, Anderson S, Courson R, Heck J, Jimenez C, McDermott B, Miller M, Stearns R, Swartz E, Walsh K, “National Athletic Trainers’ Association Position Statement: Preventing Sudden Death in Sports.” Journal of Athletic Training; 96-118, 2012.
4.Broglio SP, Martini DN, Kasper L, Eckner JT, Kutcher JS. “Estimation of Head Impact Exposure in High School Football: Implications for regulating contact practices.” Am J Sport Med 41 (12): 2877-
2884, 2013.
5.Martini DJ, Eckner JT, Kutcher JS, Broglio SP, “Sub concussive Head Impact Biomechanics: Comparing Differing Offensive Schemes.” Med. Sci. Sport Exerc. 45 (4): 755-761, 2013.
6.National Federation of State High School Associations Recommendations and Guidelines for Minimizing Head Impact Exposure and Concussion Risk in Football http://www.nfhs.org/
media/1014079/2014-nfhs-recommendations-and-guidelines-for-minimizing-head-impact-final-
october-2014.pdf