Date: August 18, 2008

We are happy to share with you the news about the fourth annual Pop Warner Nationwide Kickoff. The Pop Warner Nationwide Kickoff (formerly Simultaneous Kickoff) is designed to promote participation in youth football, celebrate the start of the Pop Warner season and is Pop Warner’s national effort to support the NFL’s and USA Football’s “Play Football” initiative. The event also represents the start for our programs as their Road to the Pop Warner Super Bowl and National Cheer and Dance Championships, where 64 football teams from across the country and more than 300 cheerleading squads compete for a national title at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, FL.

While Pop Warner participants all across the country take part in today’s event, the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants will serve as this year’s NFL Host to the Nationwide Kickoff and will involve 9 Pop Warner programs from the tri-state area including the Brick Dragons and Mustangs (NJ), Rahway Chiefs (NJ), Franklin Township (Somerset, NJ), Kenilworth Bears (NJ), Flemington Falcons (NJ), South Plainfield (NJ) Fairfield Giants (CT), Vernon-Verona-Sherrill (Vernon, NY) and one of Pop Warner’s newest programs the Brooklyn Pitbulls (NY).

The festivities will begin at 4:00 PM (ET) when former New York Giants Fullback and current Director of Player Programs, Charles Way and ESPN Analyst, Ron Jaworski will conduct pre-kick pep talks highlighting the lessons learned in football and the importance of balancing success on the field with success in the classroom.  The pep talks will be followed by the Nationwide Kickoff from Giants Stadium in advance of the Giants vs. Browns nationally televised preseason game on ESPN.  

Additional elements from Giants Stadium will include Pop Warner programs lining up next to the NY Giants and Cleveland Browns for the National Anthem and an eight-minute scrimmage at Halftime featuring the Jr. Pee Wee teams (ages 8-10) the Fairfield Giants vs. Franklin Township.  The New York Giants have also provided complimentary tickets to the game for local Pop Warner organizations.

Tune-In: New York Giants Director of Player Programs, Charles Way will be featured as a guest today (8/18) at 2:30 PM (ET) on Sirius NFL Radio (Channel 124) to talk about his and the Giants participation in the Pop Warner Nationwide Kickoff, in addition to conversation about the upcoming season.

Keep your eye out for the Pop Warner Nationwide Kickoff from Giants Stadium and Ron Jaworski’s pre-kick pep talk scheduled to air sometime during tonight’s ESPN telecast of the New York Giants vs. Cleveland Browns preseason game in the second half.

Be sure to visit www.popwarner.com later this week for media highlights and photos from the event.