From the President...
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Auburn Indians, I welcome you to our 47th season. Pop Warner football began in Auburn in 1962, and fielded one team its first year. The next year, cheerleading was introduced under the direction of Mrs. David Nangle. Since those early beginnings, the program has grown exponentially. Now, we field 10 football teams and 8 cheerleading teams, involving over 400 kids and 100 volunteers.
The Pop Warner Program has an even longer history on a national level. Started in Philadelphia during the depression by a young man named Joe Tomlin to provide healthy and positive alternatives for youth who were vandalizing local businesses, the football program was named “Pop Warner” after a popular and successful college football coach from Cornell, University of Georgia , Stanford, and Temple . The program was named in his honor when he was the only college coach to show up one stormy evening at a 1934 clinic for the young football players. The program grew to a national level, and is noted for not only its excellence in training young athletes in football and cheerleading, but also for its emphasis on scholastic success first. The National Pop Warner Little Scholars Program encourages coaches and parents to ensure that success in the classroom takes precedence over success on the field.
The Auburn Indians Football and Cheerleading Program remains faithful to its roots. Beginning with basic skills at the Flag level for 5&6 year olds, student athletes progress up to the Midget Level (up to 15 years old), taking kids to the next step of participation at the freshmen or JV level at their respective high schools.
Here are some of the cornerstones of the Auburn Indians philosophy:
Safety First:
Top-rate equipment
Background checks of all directors, coaches and volunteers
Certification of directors and coaches through the National Youth Coaching Association
Proper training for first aid and emergency situations
Careful grouping by weight and age
Participation and Fun:
Gradual progression from non-competitive levels of Flag and Mitey Mite, where instruction and participation are priorities to the more competitive levels of Jr. Pee Wee, Pee Wee, Jr. Midget and Midget, where playing time is earned by effort and ability. (Minimum play rules are always in effect, of course, so all players see playing time.)
Education:
Scholastic standards are a requirement to maintain participation, and scholastic excellence is recognized and awarded.
Healthy Lifestyles:
Healthy lifestyles are promoted, and all Auburn Indians events and facilities are alcohol, tobacco, and drug free.
We are proud of the students, coaches, and volunteers who make up the Auburn Indians, and we look forward to another great season in 2009.
Theresa Thurston,
President
Auburn Indians, Inc.