Frequently Asked Questions
Boston Raiders Youth Football & Cheer — Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I sign up for my child to participate in the Boston Raiders Youth Football & Cheer?
All registrations take place through the Boston Raiders organization’s website. The registration portal includes information regarding age levels, available programs, volunteer opportunities, and registration costs.
a) What if a 3rd party is funding the registration cost?
If a 3rd party agency is funding the participant’s registration, please email us at [email protected] with the following information:
- The name and contact info of the representative managing the payment for the 3rd party agency.
- The remit address for the paying agency.
- The participant's full name and date of birth.
Once we receive this information, we will send an invoice directly to the representative/social worker to coordinate payment. After the invoice is processed, our registrar will work directly with the parent to complete the child's registration in our system.
b) What is required to coach or volunteer?
All coaches and volunteers—regardless of position—are required to pass a national background check. This mandate applies to all individuals who provide regular service to the league or have repetitive access to youth participants. Additionally, all coaches must hold current certifications in their respective sports (USA Football certification for football or YCADA certification for cheer/dance).
2. How old must a child be to participate in Pop Warner?
- Football: Open to youth participants ages 5–13.
- Cheer & Dance: Open to youth participants ages 5–14.
⚠️ Important Note on Age Cutoffs: Standard Pop Warner regulations typically determine a child’s playing age based on their age as of July 14 of the current year.
3. How are participants placed in age divisions?
- Football: We offer age-based programs in two-year increments: 6U (ages 5–6), 8U (ages 7–8), 9U (ages 8–9), 10U (ages 9–10), 12U (ages 11–12), and 13U (ages 12–13).
- Cheer & Dance: Participants are placed in age-based divisions:
- Tiny Mite: Ages 5–7
- Mitey-Mite: Ages 6–9
- Jr. Pee Wee: Ages 8–11
- Pee Wee: Ages 9–12
- Jr. Varsity: Ages 10–14
4. Cheer & Dance has a diverse set of disciplines; which one will my child participate in?
Pop Warner provides team skill levels for Cheer (Core Cheer, Show Cheer PW 1–4) and Dance (Pom Performance, Theme Dance, and Hip Hop), developed in consultation with YCADA. Pop Warner also offers competitive opportunities in Sideline Performance Cheer. The local Boston Raiders program will determine which specific disciplines each team will compete in for the season.
5. Does my child need to try out for their Pop Warner team?
No. Under Pop Warner’s governance, member programs are strictly prohibited from holding tryouts. Teams are not allowed to cut any players who wish to participate. Furthermore, Pop Warner enforces a mandatory play requirement to guarantee that every child gets the opportunity to participate in game competition.
6. Is there an academic requirement to participate?
While there are no minimum academic requirements to participate, the Boston Raiders place a massive emphasis on the "Student-Athlete."
We highly encourage parents to submit their child's 4th-quarter report card during registration. Doing so allows qualified student-athletes the opportunity to be recognized by both the New England and National Pop Warner organizations for All-American Scholastic achievements.
Our commitment to academics goes beyond national rules. We celebrate the achievements of all our students, and the Boston Raiders proudly honor the top GPA leader in each age division with an academic award at our Annual Awards Ceremony.