Liberty Pop Warner serves boys and girls with Liberty, Kansas City and Kearney addresses that are within the Liberty Public School District boundaries. If there is not a Pop Warner program available within your school district then you may also join LPW. Additionally, participants must meet the following basic criteria: 

1. Are ages of 5-13 years old as of July 31st of the current season.

2. Meet the age/weight requirements (weight applies to football only) set forth by our league, Heart of America Pop Warner.

3. Maintain a 70% scholastic grade point average.

4. Be cleared by a medical professional and free from any condition that would prevent full participation in Pop Warner activities.

We encourage all participants to register as early as possible. LPW limits the roster sizes on all football teams in order to provide individualized attention and the best experience for our participants. Returning players receive priority placement through May 30. Remaining open roster spots are filled on a first come, first served basis from the online registrations. If we are unable to place your child on a team by June 30 you will receive a full refund of all fees paid. We may also be able to transfer you to another local pop warner association.

You do NOT need to pay at the time of online signup. 

Requests to play for a particular coach are taken into consideration, however team/division placement is ultimately determined by the LPW Board of Directors. Participants will be placed in the lowest division available for their age and weight in order to achieve the highest level of success for the player as well as the team. Due to the size of teams and squads there will be a number of opportunities to create and form carpools regardless of team or squad placement.

You will be required to purchase socks (color determined by head coach) and cleats. Many players also purchase their own chin strap and mouth guard, however these can be provided. Additional optional items will be spiritwear that includes t-shirts and hoodies, personalized car decals and photo packages. Also, please be aware that Junior PeeWee, PeeWee and Junior Midget teams may be required to travel if they win the Truman Bowl league championship and continue to play in Regional Championship and National Championship playoff games. The National Championship playoffs are only available to teams designated as D2.

Most importantly, you do your children a great service by making sure they get to practices and games on time and with the right equipment/uniform. Parents are also required to attend practices and games or, at the least, have another designated adult who is to be responsible for your child. Coaches are not babysitters and athletes need to have a ride available if practice is let out early for any reason.

Parents are not required to volunteer to help out, however there are a lot of volunteer opportunities available if you would like to. It’s a great way to get to know other people and support you child. Visit the volunteers page for more information if you are interested in getting more involved.

Coaches will contact their players in July. If you have not heard from your child's coach by July 21, please send an email to info@libertypopwarner.com.

At the in-person registration in May and June, we will weigh each player and attempt to place your child in the appropriate division based on their current age and weight. If you believe your player will gain or lose weight over the summer to fit within a particular division, please discuss your division preference with us at sign-ups. Players will automaticall be assigned to a team in the lowest division available for their age and weight at sign-ups.

While we will initially use the player's weight from registration, all players nationwide are weighed during "Certification Day", which is held a week prior to the first game in August. This will be the players's certified weight on the roster. Each player is weighed before each game to make sure only players of equivalent weights are competing. If your player happens to fall on or slightly below the minimum weight (within 3 lbs) or above the maximum weight (within 6 lbs) range for their age, but is not eligible to move to the next level team for any reason, they do assume the risk of working all of August and not "making weight". Set your weight goals early in the summer if this applies to your player.

Weight certification day is held in August, usually at the scrimmage jamboree. On certification day players must make "stripped" weight, where the participant may wear regular street clothes or, at a minimum, gym shorts. All game day weight checks are done in playing equipment, minus helmet, and depending on the division the players are provided with an equipment weight allowance increase of 7-9 pounds.

If your child doesn't make weight on Certification Day and they are 5 pounds or less over the maximum weight or within 3 pounds of the minimum, they will have the opportunity to re-weigh prior to the first game. If the player's weight is 6 pounds or more above maximum weight or more than 3 pounds under the minimum weight, they will be dropped from the roster, however LPW will make every effort to move your child to another team/division, provided his age and weight are appropriate for the other division. Players have until the 3rd game of the season to make weight, but they may not play in a game until they do.

Practices begin on August 1. For tackle teams, during the month of August, your child will practice four to five days a week, up to a maximum of 10 hours per week. At the discretion of the head coach, some teams may reduce the number of days/hours of practice once school starts. After Labor Day, all teams are limited to 6 hours of practice or less per week. The actual days and times for practices are set by the head coach of each team after the teams have been formed, but most often, the practices begin at 6:00 pm. It is very important that your child attend all practices as players are required to complete 10 hours of conditioning before they are allowed to participate in full contact drills. Practices will be held at Liberty High School, Shoal Creek Elementary or another Liberty Public School District facility.

Extended vacations during this period are not recommended, particularly during the first week of practice. Our National Rule Book states that all football players MUST complete a full 10 hours of conditioning before participating in any contact drills. Missing any time once practice starts may inhibit the player's abilities, limit their knowledge, and affect the team as a whole. This is especially true at the beginning of the season when most plays/cheers are being taught.

In August, teams may also choose to have a practice on the weekend, especially in the first week. Also on weekends in August are the pep rally, scrimmage jamboree, and first game.

Games are played on Saturdays with a select few games played on Friday nights at Liberty High School. Most games will be played at the Heart of America complex located in Independence, about 15 miles south of Liberty. LPW will also host home games at Liberty High School and South Valley Junior High and we may be invited to play in other Northland home games in varying locations. You will be expected to have your football player or cheerleader to every game at least one hour before the game is scheduled to start warm-ups and weigh-ins for football players (every football player has to be weighed-in before every game).

LPW plays in the Heart of America League of the Mid-America Pop Warner Conference. Heart of America currently includes teams from Kearney, North Kansas City, Park Hill, Independence, Fort Osage, Blue Springs, Lee’s Summit and Liberty. Most of the associations have multiple teams per division, so there are plenty of teams to play.

Nine to Ten+ games are played each season. There are 7-8 regular season games scheduled, followed by playoff games and, if the team qualifies, the Truman Bowl game (Heart of America league championship). If there are an uneven number of teams in a division your team will have a Bye game and your team may only play 9 games instead of 10. If a Junior PeeWee, Pee Wee or Junior Midget level team wins the Truman Bowl they may continue to play in state, semi-regional and regional and national games until they lose a game or win the National Championship (Division 3 may play up to Regionals, but not to Nationals). Travel costs for any out-of-area games are the responsibility of the respective team and parents. Individual teams may fundraise to help offset travel costs with the approval and supervision of the LPW Board of Directors.

Junior PeeWee and up teams:

If you team wins the league championship "Truman Bowl", your team will continue on in the regional playoff bracket with games that may be held in other states within the Mid-American Pop Warner regional boundaries. If your child's team is eligible and qualifies to go to the National Championship Super Bowl games they will be required to travel to Orlando, Florida, in early December (this is only available to Junior PeeWee and up D2 teams that have won their league, state, sub-regional and regional playoffs). Other travel opportunities may be available through invitational bowl games, such as the Omaha Bowl, or other exibition game.

Tiny Mite and Mitey-Mite teams:

The only travel opportunities available are invitational post-season bowl games, such as the Omaha Bowl, or other exhibition game.

Note: Any and all travel opportunities are at the expense of the team and individual members of the team. Fundraisers, grants and sponsorships that are approved by the LPW Board of Directors may be pursued to help off-set the cost of team travel expenses.