LANGHORNE, PA and ORLANDO, FL – As Pop Warner Little Scholars kicks off its 93rd season, the nation’s preeminent youth football and cheer organization is teaming up with Florida Citrus Sports (FCS) and Universal Orlando Resort to announce a series of exciting changes to its National Championship experience beginning this December.
The Pop Warner Super Bowl and National Cheer & Dance Championships combine to draw 10,000 Pop Warner student-athletes and their families to Orlando from around the country and internationally each December. Pop Warner’s football teams play for a national championship at the Camping World Stadium campus while cheer and dance athletes compete at one of the nation’s premier event destinations, Orange County Convention Center (OCCC). All Pop Warner student-athletes competing in Orlando that week, along with their families, get to experience world-class attractions as part of Universal Orlando’s award-winning theme parks and destination-wide amenities.
This year, Pop Warner and its partners are building off of last year’s event to improve a number of elements of the overall experience, including:
- New Lodging & Entertainment:All cheer/dance teams will be staying at a select Universal Orlando Resort Hotel or Universal Partner Hotel for the duration of the championships.
- Premier Attractions & Advanced Ticketing: Tickets will be mailed in advance to all three Universal Orlando theme parks, including Universal Studios Florida, Universal’s Volcano Bay and Universal’s Islands of Adventure – named the #1 Amusement Park in the World for five years in a row by TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice – and home to some of the most thrilling and extreme coasters ever created.
- Stress-free Reservations & Transportation: Our partners have added a seamless, enhanced booking process for hotels and transportation this year, with impeccable communications and customer support. FCS staff will be on-site at numerous regional championships to facilitate hotel booking information quicker and directly to Universal Orlando partners.
- Exclusive Party: The all-inclusive after-hours event will take place Tuesday night inside Universal Studios Florida exclusively for Pop Warner athletes and their families. Competition hours the day after the party at both venues will start later so that all participants have the opportunity to attend.
- Athlete & Volunteer Gifts: Participants and volunteers will receive exciting new gifts starting in 2022.
- Football Field Renovations: Select field locations will be renovated for National Championship play and a five-year field capacity and resod plan will be implemented starting in 2022.
- Improved Fan Zone and Food Trucks: Camping World Stadium will include a wider variety of food truck options as well as fun and games.
- New Cheer & Dance Divisions: Bantam, Tiny Mite and Open divisions will compete at National Championships.
- Enhanced Venue Design: All cheer spaces, including practices, warmups, competition, merchandise, photography, concessions and awards, will be located on the same floor with upgrades to seating, music and EMCEE.
- Extra Cheer & Dance Competition Day: With new divisions and more qualified teams attending in 2022, Cheer & Dance will have an added full day of competition.
“Competing for a national title, enjoying time with their friends and experiencing world class destinations have made Pop Warner’s Super Bowl and National Cheer & Dance Championship the ultimate championship week for young student-athletes for decades,” said Jon Butler, Pop Warner’s Executive Director. “Always striving to build on the previous year, we worked closely with our partners Florida Citrus Sports and Universal Orlando Resort to make 2022 Pop Warner Championship Week an unforgettable experience for our student-athletes and their families.”
"We were very impressed by the response to the 2021 Pop Warner national championships and look forward to building on that success this December as thousands of participants and their families descend on Orlando for yet another spectacular event," Florida Citrus Sports CEO Steve Hogan said. "It's an honor to host the nation's most renowned youth sports championships in our own backyard along with our partners at Universal Orlando Resort and the Orange County Convention Center, and this year's competition is shaping up to be the best yet."