Head Coach Responsibilities

All volunteers who interact with players must be badged and undergo a FULL background check.

Online Resources

Links to Training, Certification, Pop Warner and Other Helpful Online Resources

Paperwork and Forms

Download League and Federation Paperwork Here

EVPW Board Contact Info

Links to EVPW League Volunteers

All Volunteers who interact on game or practice fields with players MUST be background checked and have an EVPW Badge that they wear to ALL games. No exceptions. Ever.
All other team volunteers are given their roles at the discretion of the Head Coach.
The EVPW board reserves the right to revoke badge privileges from any volunteer at any time and for any reason with majority vote of the board.

Head Coach Role and Responsibilities

last updated March 2020

A Head Coach is a representative of EVPW at all times. As a league we expect you to be an example to your players and the community, while serving as a volunteer with EVPW.

General Role

The Head Coach is ultimately responsible for the entire team. The actions of parents, staff and players are the responsibility of the head coach. They are responsible for making sure that all players and volunteers on their team follow Pop Warner National, Wescon, AZ Federation, EVPW League and team rules (in the above order of supremacy).

How is This Role Chosen?

All Head Coaches are chosen by the East Valley Pop Warner Coaches Committee. This is made up of a group of Board Members and long time coaches and league volunteers. When possible the Coaches Committee will meet with applicants in person for an interview.

The application process is started by Clicking Here

Certification

ALL badged volunteers must be certified by Pop Warner partner, USA Safe Football. Click Here for Certification Links

Date Specific Responsibilities

Click Here for the Coaches Calendar where you will find the latest dates for Team Deadlines, Training, Equipment Hand Outs and More. Dates do not finalize until mid June.

General Responsibilities Including but Not Limited To

Home Game Field Set Up and Tear Down:

When playing at home if you are the first or last team on our home fields, your team will be responsible for set up or tear down. League volunteers may choose to help your team, but it is the TEAM'S RESPONSIBILITY for the entire process. A head coach who forgets to ask his coaches and players to help with set up or tear down, is pushing her or her responsibility on to other team(s) or league officials.

Home Game Field Monitoring:

When hosting a game at home, the Head Coach is responsible for having their team cover the game that PRECEDES their own. The field monitor ensures that rules are followed by both teams and therefore must not be a member of one of the teams that are playing. The Head Coach must find a volunteer or voluntold BADGED volunteer to arrive early to monitor the game. The volunteer will not be available for warmups and weigh ins.

Attending Monthly League Meetings:

Each team is required to have their Head Coach at ALL league meetings. If the Head Coach can not attend, they are required to find a team representative to attend in their place.

Choosing Staff:

A team is allowed 7 badged volunteers. These are the ONLY volunteers allowed on the field during games. The Head Coach is the sole person on the team responsible for who is given and keeps a badge. The name of Pop Warner officially recognized roles are Business Manager, Assistant Coach, Weigh Master, Equipment Manager, Trainer, Team Mom/Dad Parent, Coach in Training.

Enforcing Badges on Sidelines:

The Head Coach must make sure his staff has been background checked, issued a league badge and that the badge is worn prominently at every game. Any volunteer who does not have their badge can be removed at any time by a league rep, referee or field monitor. Losing a critical coach in a critical game due to lack of badge, is the Head Coach's fault, not the referee who noticed the lack of badge.

Team Binders:

If the Team Binders do not arrive to a game with the proper paperwork for each player, the player and/or entire team may be subject to a forfeit. The content, accuracy and location of the team binders is always the responsibility of the Head Coach regardless of who has been delegated the task to create and transport them.

Choosing Schemes:

Has the final word on offense, defense and special teams schemes.

Team Communication:

The Head Coach is responsible for the team players and parents to be made effectively aware of all the details of games and practices. If this task is delegated, they are still responsible that it is done effectively.

Sports Engine:

When the league needs to communicate with a team, or the entire league, it will do so using Sports Engine which pushes through the App. All parents are required to have the app. A Head Coach can opt to use another app in tandem, if they so choose.

Practice Format:

The league chooses location, time and days (with some input from the head coach). How practice is run, is up to the head coach as long as Pop Warner and EVPW safety and behavioral rules are followed. For example, mandatory water breaks must be followed, but what day to work on offense and for how long, is up to the Head Coach.

Practice Planning:

Bad teams start practice without a plan. EVPW Head Coaches are expected to provide at least a basic framework for the day's practice schedule to the Assistant Coaches prior to the beginning of practice.

Fundraising and Team Spending:

The Head Coach will determine how to raise funds and what to spends those funds on as long as EVPW guidelines and bookkeeping rules are followed.

Uniforms :

Head Coaches can choose to mandate shoe color and sock color, names on jerseys and helmet stickers as long as they comply with Pop Warner and league guidelines.

Bad Weather Plan:

The Head Coach is responsible for creating and implementing a plan to deal with practice or game cancellation due to bad weather

Injury Plan:

The Head Coach is responsible for creating and implementing a plan to deal with injured players.

Visiting Team Coach Contact Prior to Game:

When a coach is the Home Team, they are required to reach out to and contact the visiting Head Coach prior to Wednesday night of the week before the upcoming game. Parking, Weigh In and Warm Up locations and times, as well as any other information the visitors might need.

Game Day Weigh Ins:

Weigh Ins must be handled by a certified weigh master who has completed the Federation training at the beginning of the season. The weigh master can NOT be the Head Coach. Head Coaches are not allowed at or near the Weigh In location during Weigh Ins.

Game Day Film:

If the coach decides that film is beneficial for the team, it is the Head Coach's responsibility to schedule someone to film and that whomever is filming is aware of Pop Warner rules regarding filming. Practice filming is not allowed by Pop Warner.

Game Day Arrival Time :

The Head Coach is responsible for when to request their team to arrive at the field for Games. Weigh In time, heat, travel times, traffic and parking are all variables to consider.

Snack:

The creation and distribution of a snack list is the responsibility of the Head Coach. Deciding to forgo team snacks at games is also the choice of the Head Coach. If this task is delegated, they are still responsible that it is done effectively.

Water Jug(s):

Failing to have enough water at a game in Arizona is strategically foolish but also dangerous. One five gallon jug is barely adequate in August-September and if one parent forgets the jug, you could injure your players. If this task is delegated, they are still responsible that it is done effectively.

Sports Engine: EVPW Registration, Communication and Team Management SYSTEM