PARK RIDGE TRAVEL FALCONS

Our Board of Directors has deemed Pop Warner to be the most competitive league that also incorporates safety as a priority. This community-based travel program is different than other leagues that have a regional All-Star composition.

FALL 2021

Pop Warner schedules the first 4 games based on geographic area. Then depending on each team's record, skill,  size, and geography, the last 4 games are scheduled. 

After the regular season, there are three rounds of local playoffs.  The winning playoff teams are invited to play at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. The Florida trip is optional and not required.  If a team reaches that level of play,  options will be discussed with parents, coaches and Board of Directors.

We follow strict safety guidelines as set forth by the Illinois High School Sports Association with minimum live contact and the official rules of Pop Warner Football,  which mandates kids compete with others of similar age and size.  Practices also follow a Heads-Up Football Training approach, with tested data that show far less injuries on the field. We ensure all appropriate rules and guidelines are followed.  For Covid-19 Updates and Pop Warner specific game day safety protocols visit www.popwarner.com for more up-to-date guidelines.  Covid-19 guidelines are subject to change.

Your travel team player will be issued standard football pants, home and away uniform jerseys, practice jersey, shoulder pads, girdle and a Riddell Speed Flex helmet. 

Your child needs to bring a face mask and mouth guard to every practice and all games. Players should bring their own water bottle, properly labeled with their name. We also recommend players wear gloves during practice and play. 

Athletes will return all equipment at the end of each season.

Park Ridge Travel Falcons will offer the D1 football experience to 3rd through 9th graders and the number of teams will be specific to the demand during each season at the respective levels.  Contingent upon the age and grade, Pop Warner has the ability to potentially offer both age and weight structures.

The cost to play for one season is $250 per athlete. There are no additional required costs for the regular season beyond supplying your own cleats and a mandatory mouth guard.  

If your child’s team makes it to the Pop Warner championship series in Orlando, Florida, there will be additional fees which will be discussed with families and players. 

If there is need or hardship, we will find a way to make football available for every child who is interested in our program. Please reach out to one of our board members or coaches to find out more. 

Pop Warner has a Minimum Mandatory Play Rule (MPR) for all Pop Warner teams. Teams with 16-25 players play a minimum of 10 plays per game. Teams with 26-30 players play a minimum of 8 plays per game and teams with 31-35 players have a MPR of 6 plays per game. We have a specified coach for each team who will track playing time for each player during each game.  

We will play our home games at Maine South High School and practice at the the Barry Rec Center in Rosemont.

Practices will have a warm up and conditioning period and then athletes will be in full equipment for non-contact drills / practice in order to abide by all State of Illinois and Pop Warner rules.

We anticipate the practice schedule to be Monday, Wednesday and Thursdays from 5:30 – 7:30pm as well as Saturdays from 9:00 – 11:00 am. Practice schedules are subject to change. 

We are a competitive evaluation based program for competitive players. We also want as many kids as possible to play the sport they love, so we have chosen to keep team sizes small to allow for maximum playing time for as many players as possible. 

Before each season, players will be evaluated and invited to play on a travel team OR a player may be asked to continue to work out with the team, to condition, learn plays and develop overall skills.

Although we practice at a state of the art facility in Rosemont, the Park Ridge Travel Falcons are a Park Ridge community based team and home games are played at Maine South High School.  While we welcome players from other local communities who are looking for a competitive football experience, we do not actively recruit.  The Park Ridge Travel Falcons are not affiliated in any way with the Park Ridge Park District, Park Ridge Football & Cheer or Maine South High School.