Q) Who can play football for Apex Sports Authority?

A) All children.

 

Q) When does the season begin and end?

 A) The season starts the first week of August and could go into the third week of November.  Check the calendar for exact dates.

 

Q) How much time is involved in football and cheer?

A) It is a BIG time commitment on the part of both players and parents. For the first 2 weeks practice is 5 times per week for 2 hours each practice. After that date you will have practice 3 times a week.

 

Q) What time do the kids practice?

 A) Practices are 2 hours long and are usually around 6:00pm to 8:00pm depending on the coach’s schedule

 

Q) Isn’t it really hot out then?

A) It sure is! It is imperative that your child drink plenty of water during the football season. This includes the night before practice and during the day before practice. We cannot stress this enough. DRINK WATER!

 

Q) Where will my child have practices and games?

 A) Practice sites will be located in and around Apex as space permits. Home games are played at Apex High School and away games could be as close as Cary or as far away as South Johnson County, Sanford, N. Durham, and Wake Forest etc. Parents are responsible for all transportation for their children to and from practices and games.

 

Q) Is Pop Warner too rough for my child?

A) Only you and your child can answer this one. Apex Sports Authority makes arrangements to insure that coaches are knowledgeable, well trained individuals with the abilities to teach proper technique and skills and that all equipment is inspected and in condition to provide proper safety for all players. But, keep in mind....this is tackle football. It is not a sport for every child. Please discuss this with your child and any of our Board members prior to registering if you have specific concerns.

 

Q) Are the coaches paid employees of Apex Sports Authority?

A) NO. They are volunteers who donate their time to help our kids. This entire program, in fact, is run by volunteers who put in a great deal of personal time to make this program available to your children.

 

Q) Can we sign up now and pay later?

A) Due to the nature of this sport, there are a large number of expenses that must be paid before the season even begins. We are not able to register any child without payment in full at registration time.

 

Q) After I pay my registration fees are there any other fees involved?

 A) Yes. Each ASA member has a commitment to support fund raising activities as established by the ASA Board. Registration fees take care of administrative costs and help in offsetting equipment costs, but they do not begin to cover some of the other expenses associated with this sport. Some of the additional expenses fund raising pays for are:

Fund raising commitments are met by ASA fund raisers (pizza tickets in the past) company sponsorships, and/or parent and corporate donations. All families are expected to participate in fund raising and finding sponsors to help donate to your team.

 

Q) Do we have to buy all the equipment?

 A) NO. ASA provides all equipment for football and cheer (with the exception of some personal items). All equipment must be returned at the end of each season.

 

Q) What equipment do I need to buy?

A) Your child will need to get a pair of football cleats and a cup and athletic supporter.  

 

Q) How do you select your teams?

A) In tackle football there are several divisions. These divisions are determined by age and weight. The divisions are Tiny Mite, Might Mite, Jr. Pee Wee, Pee Wee, Jr. Midget and Midget. Details on divisions provided at registration and available on ASA web-site.

 

Q) Who decides what team my son/daughter will play on?

A) Football and Cheer Commissioners are responsible for the placement of kids on the appropriate team according to Pop Warner requirements. If you have more than 1 team in any division, the total number of players assigned to each team cannot differ by more than 3 when you have finished.

 

Q) When will I know what team my child is on?

A) You will be contacted by your coach after all registration session are completed.

 

Q) Can I play for the middle school and ASA?

A) No. Pop Warner rules do not allow for kids to play football on their school team as well as a Pop Warner team. 

 

Q) Do players ever get cut?

A) No. If a player signs up and comes to practice they will be placed on a team and play in weekly games.

 

Q) How much will my child play?

A) All children will play. Coaches will determine what positions each child is best suited for and as a result some will play more plays than others. Every division has a minimum number of plays (Pop Warner Mandatory Play Rule MPR) per half that each child must play.

 

Q) Why do football coaches yell so much?

A) Let us answer this way... Imagine if you invited 30 boys over to your home, put pads and helmets on them and told them to hit each other as hard as they can, knock each other down and then do it again, and again... and again, what do you think would happen?

It would be mass chaos, mayhem, arguing, eventual name calling, fist fighting and perhaps even a call from your neighbors asking you to move. I’m not sure a polite “Let’s calm down now boys” would cut it. The answer to this question is--coaches will demand complete attention and sometimes they demand it loudly. This is a contact sport and coaches are responsible for teaching the kids not only how to play football, but how to do it properly so no one gets hurt. This requires a lot of cooperation, teamwork and respect for each other and to this end; coaches will make sure they are heard.

 

Q) What is Certification Day? Does my child have to be there?

A) Certification Day will take place near the first game of the season. It is the day that all players are placed on a certified roster for their team. YES.........ALL PLAYERS MUST ATTEND!! On this day, all players have their final weigh-in by Conference or Federation officials to make certain they qualify to play in the division they have been placed in. All paperwork must be presented to league officials to verify each child’s age, weight and identification. This is done to comply with safety regulations. All participants must be checked at Certification.

 

Q) What if we can’t make it to Certification Day?

A) Certification is mandatory. It is VERY, VERY IMPORTANT!! If your child does not certify, their name will not appear on the teams’ roster and your child will be ineligible to participate for the entire season. This is NOT an ASA rule. We have no control over this ruling.....If you don’t certify....you don’t play! With that said, the CFF has held make up dates at their convenience, we cannot guarantee that this process will continue.

 

Q) Can we vacation once practice starts in August?

A) Attendance is mandatory for all practices. The first two weeks are Pop Warner mandatory conditioning sessions and required before a player can practice with full equipment. When players miss practice it can affect the whole team. Also Pop Warner rules do not allow players to participate in games if they do not meet the minimum number of required practice hours.