Coastal Pop Warner Panthers 

REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS

Register and pay online, upload the following documents:

2024 Pop Warner Player Contract
Copy of your child's YEAR END report card – third quarter report cards will not be accepted
Copy of your child's birth certificate (NEW players only)

All paperwork and payment in full MUST be received in order to guarantee a spot on a team. 
Physicals are no longer a requirement as of fall 2024

FALL TACKLE FOOTBALL

Practice is held at Veteran's Park, Wilmington.  Football teams practice up to 10 hours per week until school starts (Monday – Friday) and then it drops to no more than 6 hours per week. Cheer is able to practice the same amount of time, but usually practices less. All practices will be held from 6 - 8 p.m, unless otherwise stated by the coach, on weeknights from the first week in August until the end of Oct.

Tackle football players must meet 10 hours of conditioning before pads are worn.  Then must meet another 10 hours of conditioning with pads before scrimmaging.

Your child needs a parent or guardian to attend practice in the event of an injury or a shortened practice due to unforeseen events such as inclement weather.  Proper equipment and water or a sports drink is also required.

INVEST IN A GOOD UMBRELLA AND/OR GALOSHES

FOOTBALL IS PLAYED IN THE RAIN – practice and games.  Coaches or team moms will contact you if practice is cancelled due to weather or field closure.  Updates are posted on website and Facebook. 

Do not assume that practice is cancelled when other area fields are closed.  We are fortunate that the Veterans Park fields drain well, so often we are having practices when other area fields are closed.    Coaches will let you know the status of practice during inclement weather. 

Coaches are encouraged to have a Lightening app on their phones.  We monitor and cancel practice accordingly as summer thunderstorms pop up.

GAMES

Games are held on Saturdays.  Panther’s “home field” located at Myrtle Grove Middle School or Veterans Park.  Away games can be held at the following locations:

Pender Hurricanes - Heide Trask High School

Coastal Bengals - Trask High School (Rocky Point)
Topsail Pirates - Kiwanis Park, Hampstead
United Lions- Legion Staduim
Coastal Cowboys - Ogden Park

If you have multiple kids playing in different age groups or kids in both football and cheer – sometimes you will have a kid at one game in one part of the county and another kid at a completely different game in another part of the county.  It can get hectic traveling from place to place.  Get to know the other parents on the team so you can share rides or offer to share rides. 

The League creates the schedule for all the associations.  We typically have our season schedule announced the last week in August, only a few days before our first game.  The season schedule is posted on the Panther’s website, Facebook site and emailed as soon as we get it.  Just  heads up, for the past 5 years, football season has kicked off over Labor Day weekend and will again this year. 

EQUIPMENT

Helmets and game jerseys are provided for football players (shoulder pads are provided for 6U) and are the property of Pop Warner Panthers.  Equipment must be returned to the association at the end of the season.  

Coastal Pop Warner receives a portion of our fees for insurance and league fees. The remaining fees are used by Pop Warner Panthers for player and coaching equipment, scholarships, home games, and administrative operating costs. Football equipment is very expensive; helmets cost $250 and jerseys cost from $75-100 each. Based on this, please understand that it is important to take care of our equipment and turn in all equipment at the end of the season.  Parents or guardians will be billed for equipment not returned.

 APPROXIMATE OUT OF POCKET EXPENSIVE

The below prices are for gently used and new equipment and can be purchased locally or online.

Tackle Football
Cleats: $25 - $125
Practice and Game Pants (black): $20-$60
Practice Jersey: $15 (some used available for $5- will be sold during the 1st week of practice)
Shoulder Pads: $30 - $75
Helmet Chinstrap: $10 - $15 (some will be available the first week of practice for $10)
Mouthpiece (cannot be clear/with helmet attachment): varies

CHEER

Our cheer program runs year round with our next season being August 2024 through May 2025. The girls will need to purchase cheer shoes and warm ups. We will decide on these when the teams are formed. We will be doing fundraising to offset any expenses.

During Fall, cheer will practice 3-5 times a week with games on Saturdays and will participate in 1 to 3 competitions. Our first competition is Locals in Wilmington in October, Regionals will take place in November, and if we advance to Nationals (hopefully we will!!) that takes place in December in Florida. 

During Spring, cheer will practice 2-3 times a week and will participate in at least one competition, location TBD. 

Registration for the fall season is open as well with an early bird special.