Running head: “POP” WARNER 1

Week 1 Assignment: “Pop” Warner Mission Statement

American Military University

Athletic Programs Administration

SPHE416

James Miller

Dr. Barry Shollenberger

October 10th, 2019

“POP” WARNER 2

Introduction

The name Pop Warner has become an adage for the youth football and sports enthusiasts

across the nation. The name is so well-known that it breaches international borders (National

Football Foundation, 2019). Although the name has become outrageously popular, surely beyond

all original expectations, most who reference the name today and play, coach, manage, or

spectate the league’s events do not know the history behind the brand.

https://www.popwarner.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1403206

The mission of Pop Warner Little Scholars is to enable young people to

benefit from participation in team sports and activities in a structured

environment. Through this active participation, Pop Warner programs teach

fundamental values, skills and knowledge that young people will use throughout

their lives.

Pop Warner seeks to provide fun athletic learning opportunities for

children, while emphasizing the importance of academic success. Specifically,

Pop Warner seeks to familiarize players and spirit participants with the

fundamentals of football, cheerleading and dance. Pop Warner strives to inspire

youth, regardless of race, creed or national origin, to practice the ideals of

sportsmanship, scholarship and physical fitness as reflected in the life of the late

Glenn Scobie “Pop” Warner.

Warner was born in 1871 (Guttmann, 2010, pg. 147) and was a member of the inaugural

class inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951 (Wikipedia, 2005). A New York

native, Warner found his place among football greats while coaching at schools in Pittsburgh,
“POP” WARNER 3

Philadelphia and Carlisle, Pennsylvania, along with a few other popular schools. During his time

as a college football coach he fabricated football fundamentals, formations, and many other

“firsts” that are still used in the game today (College Football Hall of Fame, 2019).

Mission Analysis

Although “Pop” is the face of the league, Joseph J. Tomlin was the horsepower behind

the movement that paved the way for the league to become what it was destined to be (National

Football Foundation, 2019). The mission statement published by the Pop Warner Little Scholars

staff clearly defines what the program is about in the first sentence. The organization exists to

offer Americas sporting youth an opportunity to benefit and expand their physical, psychological

and emotional boundaries in a competitive and organized setting. This single sentence clearly,

concisely and simultaneously describes where the league currently is and what the future of the

organization is to become. It has a goal. Goals are powerful and if they are S.M.A.R.T. goals;

specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound (Milgram, L. (1999); it will help to

focus the ambitions of its community into a common purpose.

The purpose of the league is to build an indelible foundation of basic qualities and

learning techniques that children can use to navigate through life. The Pop Warner organization

aims to achieve their impressive goal by instilling moral and ethical values, teaching skills and

creating a knowledge base that participating youth will use throughout the duration of their lives.

The league’s philosophy appears to emphasize an academically based approach to having fun

and learning the fundamentals of the game of football. However, this does not represent a clearly

defined philosophy which would assist the reader in understanding how the youth’s involved in

the program would begin to experience the benefits and understand the value and importance

associated with the club.

“POP” WARNER 4

The mission statement does not address the operational environment of the organization.

There are many programs in existence today that offer educational and athletic opportunities to

the youth of the nation. However, due to the uniqueness of youth programs and the safety

concerns of contact sports, the operational environment, specifically concerning Pop Warner

football and its staff should be adequately discussed. The mission statement ends with the

expectations of the program which are modeled after the inspirational figurehead of the program.

“Pop” Warner was known to be an early-adaptor of technical and tactical football skills and just

as Pop paved the way for football and this youth organization, Pop Warner Little Scholars plans

to inspire a future generations of kids regardless of race, creed or national origin (Pop

Warner.com, 2019)

Mission Improvement

The mission statement could be improved in several ways to but does a great job at

painting the picture for management and staff to guide the program. The statement’s length is an

arguable point and a matter of preference. There are many effective mission statements, almost

one for every kind of company, that vary in length. The philosophy that guides the Pop Warner

program could be more detailed in the statement. The statement speaks of “values, skills and

knowledge” but what are these specific attributes and how important are they to the program?

These are the questions that a reader may speculate about and ask themselves what exactly my

children will learn in addition to the game as they claim.

The statement also creates questions about who manages the organization and oversees

the operational environment. Leadership skills and communications both upward and downward

are important to success and client confidence. It is important to know that your business and

children are being managed and cared for by a staff of trained, licensed and insured resolute
“POP” WARNER 5

professionals. These are the type of credentialed individuals who ultimately makeup the

successful and confident team that will enforce and pursue the goals stated in the mission. Lastly,

the future of the Pop Warner program should be reinforced within the mission statement and

provide examples of how the lasting success and prolonged results of the program will benefit

children for many years to come.

Conclusion

Having a mission statement is critical to the future of any company. It provides guidance,

information, and motivation for those that read it. Pop Warner Little Scholars’ mission statement

is clear and concise in its purpose while stating what the program exists for and what the future

goal is. Very few things in life are perfect and this statement can use improvements. A mission

statement should inspire and inform while being impactful enough to be remembered and

communicated up and down the chain.

“POP” WARNER 6

References

College Football Hall of Fame. (2019). Glenn Scobey Warner. Retrieved from

https://www.cfbhall.com/about/inductees/inductee/pop-warner-1951/

Guttmann, A. (2010). The progressive era appropriation of children’s play. Journal of the History

of Childhood and Youth, 3(2), 147-151,311. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-

com.ezproxy2.apus.edu/docview/366364214?accountid=8289

Milgram, L. (1999). Management by Objectives (MBO)—Setting SMART Goals. Managing

Smart, 17. doi:10.1016/b978-0-88415-752-6.50018-7

National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Inc. (2019). Joseph J. Tomlin - General.

Retrieved from https://footballfoundation.org/roster.aspx?rp_id=146

Pop Warner.com. (2019). Pop Warner-Youth Football-Youth Cheer. Retrieved from

https://www.popwarner.com

Wikipedia. (2005). Pop Warner. Retrieved from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop_Warner#cite_ref-189