Practices

Unless you have been contacted, your child has met the initial 10 hours of conditioning. Therefore, your player should come to practice in full practice gear (helmet with mouthguard, navy practice pants with all pads in, carolina blue practice jersey, and shoulder pads).

We have been working them up to full gear to get them ready for game day situations. Players will not have the time or opportunity to frequently take helmets or other equipment off during a game. Remember that the game will not stopped so that your child can get his/her equipment back on to go in for a play. This is the reason that Pop Warner mandates that they go through so much conditioning before being allowed to go into full contact practices and this is why we have been strict on them keeping helmets on during breaks and will be even more important now that most will be in full gear. They will continue to get frequent breaks during practices.

It is pertinent that you make sure that your child is drinking plenty of water as well as some gatorade/powerade (for the electrolytes) throughout the day as they begin practicing in full gear. Also, make sure that they are not eating just prior to coming to practice (this makes them more susceptible to getting sick).

• Good rule of thought for food: make sure that they eat and finish about 1 hour before the start of practice or a game (i.e. practice is at 6pm so make sure that they have eaten by 5pm). Milk is usually not the best thing to drink before a practice or game. Remember to eat fruits and vegetables as well.


• Good rule of thought for fluids: make sure that they have a water bottle with them throughout the day. It is even more important if you are taking them to the pool during the day (they can become dehydrated easily and not know it b/c they don't believe they can become so since they are in water). PLEASE NOTE THAT DRINKING AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF WATER AT ONE TIME IS NOT HEALTHY.

**IN ORDER TO PREVENT DEHYDRATION, IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PLAYERS ARE WELL HYDRATED BEFORE PRACTICE OR GAMES.

They are still children so they will need constant reminders to drink fluids throughout the day. Please help keep the all football players as well as cheerleaders well-hydrated before they come to practice or games.