Time to Sign-up for Jr. Warriors Football, Cheerleading Programs

Registration is now open for the Watchung Hills Junior Warriors youth football and cheer association. The Junior Warriors is the largest youth football & cheer program in the area and is open to all boys and girls in grades K-8 residing in Warren Township, Watchung Borough, Long Hill Township and Green Brook.

The goal of the Junior Warriors is to provide a positive football and cheer experience to as many children as possible while preparing them for a successful high school career. They are proud to participate in the Patriot Football League, which was developed to cultivate a fun and educational environment to help young athletes improve their skills and to perform those skills to the best of their abilities.

In 2010, the Junior Warriors’ Varsity team won the NJ State Championship for the unlimited-weight football league and last year boasted a 7-1 record in the regular season. Also last year, the seventh-grade team was undefeated for the entire season – winning their Patriot League division. Big things are expected of these boys as they will participate in next season’s Varsity team.

The Junior Warriors is a community-based team and that encourages parent/family participation in a variety of support positions. All of the coaches are Rutgers certified and must undergo rigorous background checks. As this is the feed program for the Watchung Hills Regional High School Warriors, they utilize the same turf field and surrounding fields for practice and select games.

The league consists of flag football and cheer for grades Kindergarten through 2nd, and tackle football and cheer for grades 3rd through 8th. In addition, the JV and Varsity travel teams compete in the Junior Skyland Football Conference.

Each of the flag football teams has a maximum of 16 players and each of the tackle football teams has a maximum of 18 players. This allows the most playing time for all. If a child does not start on offense then he MUST start on defense. Unlike other football programs, this will guarantee every child a starting position and a minimum of at least half of the plays in every game. This assures that all members receive the valuable experience needed to reach their full athletic potential.

There is also a strong emphasis placed on Academic achievement–awards are presented each season to all members surpassing a specified grade average and annual scholarships are another highly-prized reward.

For all members of the Junior Warriors organization (player, parent, or coach), the focus is on learning and encouragement. Your child will develop by actually playing in the games. Everyone gets equal time to learn and achieve their goals. Players are taught the game from the ground up. The fundamentals of the game are what they will learn and what will make them better players.

For more information, or to register online, go to the Jr. Warriors website.

Submitted by Eric Aerts.