As a proud Philadelphian, I’ve always believed in the power of teamwork, grit, and loyalty. So it was a true honor that one of my first official acts as President & CEO of Pop Warner Little Scholars was to welcome our regional leadership and national partners to my hometown for our 2025 National Meeting last weekend.

Ok, no excuse for booing Santa Claus but The City of Brotherly Love is about passion, resilience, and community. The same qualities I see in the people who make Pop Warner what it is, from our regional leaders to the league and association presidents; from the coaches and team moms to the athletes.

This is a moment of real momentum for Pop Warner. We’ve started the year with fresh energy, new ideas, and the shared belief that we can build on our foundation while moving the organization forward. That spirit was clear in every session and every conversation in Philadelphia. We’re growing stronger through new partnerships, new events, and new investments in how we support our athletes and families.

Some highlights from our national meeting that you’ll read about in this newsletter:

• We deepened our work with NFL, NFL Flag, and USA Football, including sessions with NFL Vice President of Football Development Roman Oben; Executive Director of NFL Flag Izell Reese; and USA Football Manager of Grassroots Growth MacKenzie Mock.
• Lisa Borzotta, associate director of YCADA and longtime champion of Pop Warner, helped us kick off what promises to be a dynamic year for Cheer & Dance.
• We announced two new national events debuting in Charlotte this December: the Queen City Crown Cheer & Dance Open and the Crown Classic Flag Football Tournament.
• We announced a major change on the uniform and apparel front, replacing our vendor with Momentic Brands, which will bring uniforms and gear to our teams in a more customer-friendly approach.
• If you hit the books the way our scholar-athletes do you deserve a party.  A big one. So starting next year we’re bringing back the Pop Warner All-American Scholars Banquet. See you in Chicago - March 2026.

Thank you!

Steve Strawbridge
President & CEO