Pop Warner Fight?

[Wanna go to Disney?]

Lots of young adults want to play football and/or be cheerleaders. The really talented athletes try out for and make their school’s team. The less talented people fall back on Pop Warner. It’s a cheerleading and football program for underachievers.

LOL Hence the disgruntled ones?

 

[tedisney]

Ugh. So when is Pop Warner 2008, so I can avoid it?

 

[Maraena]

Lots of young adults want to play football and/or be cheerleaders. The really talented athletes try out for and make their school’s team. The less talented people fall back on Pop Warner. It’s a cheerleading and football program for underachievers.

That must be why this year's Heisman winner played Pop Warner football!

In some places, where football and cheer don't officially start until high school at the school level, Pop Warner basically allows kids to play these organized sports at the elementary and middle school levels. Where I previously lived, Pop Warner football and cheer were both big and highly competitive. The high school standouts had all played Pop Warner. In some regards, it's a competitive league much like competitive girls softball, AAU basketball, etc.

In essence, these kids get a shot at learning the fundamentals early and definitely have a leg up on the players who have no experience once they hit middle school/high school. Perhaps in your area, they might be underachievers, but that's like saying that kids playing baseball on competitive teams prior to high school are all underachievers.

 

[Disney Von Drake]

That must be why this year's Heisman winner played Pop Warner football!

O.J. Simpson won the Heisman and played Pop Warner football (he was cut from the team)! So, what's your point?

 

[Eeyore's My Favorite]

That must be why this year's Heisman winner played Pop Warner football!

You're gonna get alot of flaming on that comment - unless you've watched Tim Tebow play football for Nease High School and for the Gators - you've missed some fantastic football playing. He is an awesome player, person and all around individual!!

Now back to the PW activities - I already got flamed on another thread because of my comments about the cheerleaders when I called them horrendous, but it sure sounds like I didn't miss the mark by much this year either. Our experience was 2 years ago at POR & it was bad.

I am glad that WDW took the action that they did with the football players and the fight. There was no reason for those kids to be out that late. Even the college sports teams have curfews that have to be strictly followed at all their sporting events & it certainly isn't 1am!!

WTG Disney!!

 

[3DisneyKids]

I would think there are just as many laws protecting large hotels such as Disney. I would bet if you read the fine print on any hotel bill or reservation it will say something along the lines that the hotel has the right to no longer let you stay there. Besides I would also bet that Pop Warner has some type of contract with it's players, but obvisiously people don't care about what is expected. Someone else mentioned that they sign a contract saying if 1 is violent they are all kicked out immediately. I am pretty sure it wouldn't say unless it is the middle of the night, you have other smaller kids or you simply refuse to leave unless police are involved. Being kicked out because of 1 is the chance you take going with a big group.

Just remember "1 bad apple can spoil the whole bunch".

I say good job Disney for taking a stand!!

Yeah, I am willing to bet that Disney knows what their rights are inside and out when it comes to things like this. They have kicked people out before and will kick people out again. Amazingly, we don't hear more stories like this!

Additionally, one of the news stories said that WDW officials had been in touch with Pop Warner officials throughout the altercation up to and including making the decision to have the guests leave immediately. So while that one mom complained about the babies and how Disney should have handled it better, it seems like PW knew the policy and knew that they were going to be asked to leave and also were talking with Disney during the whole thing.

 

[dimoe]

I was there last year during PW week and vowed I would never go back. We stayed at CSR hoping to avoid them at least at the resorts no such luck. They took over the pool no chaperones around . We seen them many times and there were never any chaperones with them. The racists marks the black children made against white people was atrocious!!!!!! The way the girls dressed and the attitudes of the mothers unbelievable. Also all that cheering really gets to you. We werent lucky we ran into them everywhere all day long.
Never again. Good for disney for putting down their foot on this behaviour.
Last year I remember ppl posting disney did not invite back a lot of the teams
due to their behaviour too.
I think personally they have to do away with this event. No one wants to go during this time with them there.
Hopefully they will find the loophole in the contract.

 

[StephSalyer]

Ugh! I will NEVER visit during PW time! I would even venture to say if I won an all expenses paid trip during PW time I would not go. Not all of the kids are horrendous, but the ones that are make up for the one's that aren't. It is dispicable how I have seen some of these kids behave. Now mind you, I see rude, obnoxious, and badly behaved young people (and adults too) on each trip we go on, but there is just something about the PW kids.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

The driver of the bus I was on actually pulled off the road, stopped the bus, stood up, faced the crowd, and made his speech about how there would be no more cheering on the bus. That's when one of the mothers started in. After we got to wherever we were going, I remained on the bus to talk to the driver and told him that no one had the right to treat him that way. He was very grateful but then asked me for contact information in case this woman would try to get him in trouble, which I gladly provided.

That was a very smart thing you did and hopefully it won't come to it where you will be contacted about what happened. Still it's good you were a witness incase you are contacted and etc.

 

[huey578]

I'd rather have the tour groups from Brazil then those Pop Warner kids. Hopefully Disney will disassociate themselves with PW. I think anyone that reads this post needs to email, mail or call Disney Guest Services and voice their displeasure.

 

[digskat]

You're gonna get alot of flaming on that comment - unless you've watched Tim Tebow play football for Nease High School and for the Gators - you've missed some fantastic football playing. He is an awesome player, person and all around individual!!

Wow, you got a completely different read on the post than I did. I felt the poster was stating that Tebow was an example of a very talented player, who came through Pop Warner........an argument for another poster stating that PW was for underachievers, who couldn't make their school teams.

 

[Erin1700]

We were just there during PW week, and let me tell you, the girls were the problem! Loud and disrespectful everytime we saw them. We stayed at GF so we didnt see them at the resort, but you always knew when they were in the park.
BUT let me be the first to say, that the boys we encountered were the NICEST and most WELL BEHAVED kids we saw!

 

[VacationDad]

Wow, you got a completely different read on the post than I did. I felt the poster was stating that Tebow was an example of a very talented player, who came through Pop Warner........an argument for another poster stating that PW was for underachievers, who couldn't make their school teams.

That is exactly what that poster meant. I'll tell you. You put any large group of adolescent athletic boys together anywhere and you are going to eventually find trouble. Let's not pretend that this is some new phenomenon. Boys filled with testosterone fight. Pop Warner is not a flute-playing competition. It is football. Which is why they really needed more adult supervision than they were getting.

 

[Maraena]

You're gonna get alot of flaming on that comment - unless you've watched Tim Tebow play football for Nease High School and for the Gators - you've missed some fantastic football playing. He is an awesome player, person and all around individual!!

As other posters have noted, I was pointing out that Pop Warner is not the land of underachievers as another poster said. If it were, I doubt a Heisman Trophy winner would've come out of it. There are multiple pro athletes who played Pop Warner.

Oh, and for the OJ Simpson comment by that same poster (i.e. not Eeyore's My Favorite): I believe OJ was a noted football player as well. Thank you for proving my point!

 

[huey578]

As other posters have noted, I was pointing out that Pop Warner is not the land of underachievers as another poster said. If it were, I doubt a Heisman Trophy winner would've come out of it. There are multiple pro athletes who played Pop Warner.

Oh, and for the OJ Simpson comment by that same poster (i.e. not Eeyore's My Favorite): I believe OJ was a noted football player as well. Thank you for proving my point!

I have no use for football players Professional jocks are a JOKE

 

[Disney Von Drake]

As other posters have noted, I was pointing out that Pop Warner is not the land of underachievers as another poster said. If it were, I doubt a Heisman Trophy winner would've come out of it. There are multiple pro athletes who played Pop Warner.

Oh, and for the OJ Simpson comment by that same poster (i.e. not Eeyore's My Favorite): I believe OJ was a noted football player as well. Thank you for proving my point!

And thank you too for returning the favor!

 

[CPT Tripss]

That is exactly what that poster meant. I'll tell you. You put any large group of adolescent athletic boys together anywhere and you are going to eventually find trouble. Let's not pretend that this is some new phenomenon. Boys filled with testosterone fight. Pop Warner is not a flute-playing competition. It is football. Which is why they really needed more adult supervision than they were getting.

NO, NO, NO This isn't some boys will be boys thing.
I heard from so many coaches how sports builds character and instills discipline. In many cases it does . . . but no way do those kids (and any other miscreants not booted), the coaches and the PW organization get a pass on this one.
Too bad Teddy Roosevelt wimped out on football

 

[Maraena]

I have no use for football players Professional jocks are a JOKE

They may or may not be but there is a market for their services, otherwise they wouldn't get paid so darned much.

Personally, I don't watch football. A simple search on Pop Warner told me most of what I wanted to know. I do know, however, that sports are often a big motivator for kids in school. For those students who hate school, the threat of being kicked off their favorite sport's team often compels them to attend to their classes more.

I used to teach and coach multiple sports. I certainly didn't have extreme athletes who had honed their skills. They were, however, motivated by the opportunity to play sports and receive some positive attention for their efforts. Poor behavior, bad grades, etc. were not tolerated. To be honest, had my players engaged in a fight like this Disney wouldn't have had to kick us out. My players would've been running back home. But, I was also that mean coach that held the team accountable for the actions of a few players. Why? The team doesn't win or lose by the actions of one player. They also can choose to not engage in these types of behaviors for the sake of their teammates or their teammates can ensure that the fight never takes place.

I actually support what Disney did. I only spoke up when Pop Warner was bashed. I'm thrilled that not all kids need sports to help motivate them academically or to keep them focused during their free time. I'm thankful for those of you who found other hobbies to pursue that used your time in a positive way. Bashing Pop Warner isn't the solution here no more than bashing the Boy Scouts would be if they engaged in similar behavior. Each group serves its purpose.

The teams that engaged in these brawls are at fault. The players, the chaperones, the coaches, and the parents allowed this to take place. Fights, between all age groups, take place all the time. (In some schools where I've taught previously, we averaged a fight a day while others only had 1-2 a week. When you put 1000+ teens together and don't teach and/or model how to properly problem solve, it's bound to happen.) This was just more publicly dealt with because entire teams were removed during the night. Disney did what it felt like it needed to do to address the situation and made all parties aware of the consequences of such actions beforehand.

 

[digskat]

I have no use for football players Professional jocks are a JOKE

Know a few do you? Pretty nice to paint a group of a few hundred thousand with one wide brush. Most pro athletes I know, are intelligent, polite, community-minded, young men. Not all have come through schools as pampered little brats, excused from learning because they have ability.

 

[grlpwrd]

Geez, listen to the entitled attitude of these parents:

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071212/NEWS01/712120425/1001/NEWS01

Goodness gracious, how did you get that idea just from reading that article???

I got a headache when I first heard about it. I am from Hawaii with ties in Nanakuli/Waianae (some stories are saying one or the other... ???) and Kahalu'u (all kinda "rough" places), my brothers played Pop Warner when they were younger, and my dh lives and works in Baltimore. Ugh.

I still support what Disney did, though. No tolerance.

I am sure curious to know what really went down...