Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc. 2009 Scholastic Eligibility Form
Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc. (PWLS) is the only national youth sports organization in America that requires its participants to perform adequately in the classroom before permitting them to play. We believe that the standards we have set give these children a sense of responsibility and an appreciation for academics and athletics that will help them develop later on in life.
Like such organizations as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and National Federation of High Schools (NFHS), PWLS has academic guidelines and criteria that need to be met in order for a child to participate.
SCHOLASTIC FITNESS: THE NATIONAL POLICY
Proof of satisfactory progress in school is required. A 2.0/70% or the equivalent shall be the minimum grade point average acceptable to participate. In cases of doubt, conflict of opinion, or if a valid report card is not submitted, the nationally published scholastic eligibility form shall be used and deemed final.
NOTE: This rule as it relates to scholastic grades may not be made more stringent by any team, association, or league, as other rules may be. No local team/squad may be allowed to participate in Regional/National sponsored championships or bowl games if it has not met the nationally published scholastic requirements.
WHAT IF I DON'T HAVE A 2.0/70% GRADE POINT AVERAGE?
We understand that not all student-athletes are able to meet our scholastic requirements. If a child does not meet the requirements of scholastic fitness, he/she may fill out and submit a Scholastic Eligibility Form.
This form is to be completed by those participants in the Pop Warner program that have not met the National Scholastic Requirement of 70 percent and/or 2.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) at the time of certification. This form must be accompanied by a progressing progress report or report card to be eligible for play after the October 16, 2009 deadline. That report must be dated between Sep. 16, 2009 and Oct 16, 2009.
If no progressing progress report or report card is given in this window then the player shall be found ineligible for the rest of the year.
POP WARNER ALL-AMERICAN SCHOLAR PROGRAM:
Each year, the most academically accomplished Pop Warner kids compete for Academic All-American status. This process begins at the association level and up through each of the eight 
Pop Warner regions to the national level. In 2008, approximately 400,000 kids participated in Pop Warner. As our numbers once again reached record levels, 276 First Team members, over 5,000 Second Team members and 1,000+ Honorable Mention scholars were named as Academic All-Americans at the National Level for 2007-2008.
The PWLS All-American Program requires a minimum 96% grade point average to apply for All-American status. After the applications have been processed, Pop Warner determines National First Team All-Americans (35 football, 25 cheer per grade), National Second Team All-Americans and National Honorable Mention Scholars.
ALL-AMERICAN SELECTION PROCESS:
- A final score is calculated for each student that consists of up to 100 points (85%) for the student's grades for the prior school year, along with up to 18 points (15%) awarded for the attached Addendum sheet of activities and achievements.
- Once the scores have been calculated, First Team All-Americans are selected. The top 35 football players and 25 cheerleaders per grade (plus ties) are selected as National First Team All-Americans.
- Second Team All-Americans are then determined by Pop Warner based upon the number of applications that were submitted for that year. Last year's total was approximately 3,800 Second Team All-Americans
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Pop Warner will announce its annual Scholar All-Americans each year on April 1st. Each scholar will receive an informational packet in the mail by the end of April that includes:
- Congratulatory letter from Pop Warner indicating their scholastic accomplishment.
- Certificate of achievement for National All-Americans.
- Information regarding the Pop Warner National All-American Banquet.
FREQUENTLY ASKED SCHOLASTIC QUESTIONS:
Question: Who is eligible for the Scholar All-American Program?
Answer: You need to meet the following criteria in order to be considered for the Scholar All-American Program:
- Currently be in 5th Grade or higher for the Pop Warner Season
- Have a 96% Grade Point Average (GPA) from your previous school year's report card.
- Have a Complete Full-Year's Report Card from your previous school year to prove eligibility
Question: How are the applications graded once submitted to Nationals?
Answer: Once we recieve the applications from each Region in early January, we come up with a score for each participants based on his/her GPA and the addendum score. NOTE, addendums are graded based on a scoring system that Pop Warner National has developed and had evaluated by several professionals in the educations system. We do no release this criteria to anyone outside of our office.
Question: What is the difference between First Team and Second Team All-American?
Answer: A First Team All-American is one of the top 35 football players or cheerleaders for his/her grade nationwide! A Second Team All-American consists of those scholars who are above an annually increasing final score (GPA + addendum).
Question: What is an Honorable Mention All-American Scholar?
Answer: This began in 2005, as we felt that everyone who meets the criteria for All-American consideration should be rewarded for his/her academic success. If you meet this criteria and your application was turned in to us, then you will be an Honorable Mention Scholar if you miss out on Second Team.
Question: If my son/daughter makes First Team for his/her region, league or association, are they automatically a National First Team All-American?
Answer: No, Regional, League and/or Association recognition is separate from National recognition. You must understand that while someone makes First Team at the Region Level, he/she is competing against the whole nation at the National Level.
Question: When will I find out if I am an All-American Scholar?
Answer: Every year we make the announcement on www.popwarner.com on April 1. We also mail out a packet to each scholar containing a Certificate of Achievement, Recognition Letter, Scholar Merchandise Info, and an invitation to the National Scholar Banquet.
Question: Who is eligible to attend the Scholar Awards Program in May?
Answer: Every Scholar is invited to attend, whether they are First Team, Second Team or Honorable Mention. We hold this event annually to recognize your incredible achievements in the classroom.
Question: What is an All-American Senior Scholar and are they the only ones eligible for scholarships at the Awards Program in May?
Answer: An All-American Senior Scholar is a First Team recipient in grades 8 and above. Yes, they are the only Scholar All-Americans who are eligible for scholarship at the National Levels. Pop Warner Leagues and Regions often hold seperate scholastic banquets, and may award scholarships to any participants based upon their pre-determined criteria.
Question: How big of a deal is it to be named as a Pop Warner All-American Scholar?
Answer: A very big deal! If your son/daughter is recognized as a Pop Warner All-American Scholar, then he/she is amongst the top 1% of all Pop Warner participants. They are also eligible to attend our Awards Recognition Program held annually which commemorates their achievements on the field, in the classroom and in the community. If you still have questions about the Scholar Program, please send us an email and we will answer you back as soon as we can.
