The Mission

The Mission

Merritt Island Sports Association strives to inspire its young athletes and stresses the importance of scholarship, teamwork, sportsmanship and citizenship, regardless of race, creed or national origin. All youth athletes will be taught and continually encouraged to practice the ideals of sportsmanship, scholarship, and physical fitness as reflected in the life of the late Glenn Scobie "Pop" Warner.

The Organization

Pop Warner is an International Organization

Pop Warner National Championships are played at the Disney World Sports Complex and nationally televised on ESPN.

It is the only recreational youth tackle football and cheerleading program recognized by the NFL.

Merritt Island Sports Association is a member of the Mid-Florida Pop Warner region. Mid-Florida Pop Warner has well over 290 football and cheerleading squads, which equates to more than 8500 young people and over 1500 adult volunteers.

Emphasis on Education

This year, Mid-Florida Pop Warner proudly awarded 10 scholarships to the league's top academic young athletes (both cheerleading and football). The scholarships and awards were presented to the young scholars at the Mid-Florida annual Academic Banquet held at the Omni Hotel in Orlando.

A player's performance in academics and behavior at school are considered to be just as important as his or her performance on the field and will be monitored by the Scholastic advisor and player agent to ensure player participation eligibility. Academics and athletics go hand in hand.

Facilities & Travel

There will be no more travel than what county leagues are accustomed to. Brevard County Pop Warner Teams include Palm Bay, Cocoa, Port Saint John and Merritt Island.

All Teams travel to the same location to play.

Home games are currently played at Merritt Island High School in their football stadium.

Equipment & Coaches

All athletes are outfitted in the latest, top of the line, football player or cheerleading equipment available on the market.

All coaches must attend an initial and follow on coach training courses to become and stay Pop Warner certified as a coach. Coaches also attend periodically scheduled training courses throughout the year (both cheerleading and football).

Each team is required to have at least one coach who is CPR certified (both cheerleading and football).

Player and Fees

Required registration documents include:

Registration Fee

Parental Consent (registration form)

Medical examination

Birth Certificate or other Proof of Age

Report Card or other Proof of Scholastic Fitness (Proof of satisfactory progress in school is required.)

Each football player is required to play at least 4 meaningful plays per game or more depending in the team's roster size (these plays cannot include special teams, extra point, etc.). The opposing team's representative tracks a player's playtime on the sideline during a game. A team not adhering to this rule will be forced to forfeit the game to the opposing team.

THERE ARE NO PLAYER CUTS OR TRYOUTS. This is strictly prohibited by the Pop Warner organization. The only time a player or cheerleader can be turned away is if the team's roster is full, at which time the athlete will be placed on a waiting list. Football team rosters will consist of minimum 18 players and a maximum of 35. Roster and team assignments will be strictly on first come first served bases.

Football players who are at the maximum allowed weight at the start of the season, may gain one pound per week throughout the season for a total or 9 pounds.