Apopka Pop Warner Cheer and Dance organization is hoping to build on an influx of 30 new members and a successful 2024, which included two first place finishes and one second place finish at the Pop Warner Nationals in December, to return to the national and international stage in 2025. 

Apopka Cheer and Dance had all three of their cheer and dance teams invited to Nationals in 2024, where they competed against the best programs in the country. Apopka’s Tiny Mites, Mighty Mites, and Jr. Pee Wee teams were all invited to Globals after their performances in their divisions at Nationals.    

Unfortunately, scheduling and funding issues restricted the teams from attending Globals last season. But this season, Apopka Pop Warner’s Cheer and Dance teams are on the same mission, hoping for the same outcome.  

With a larger team, more experience and 30 new members, Apopka Cheer and Dance is preparing for its biggest season yet, Chasity Hyatt and Titilaya Fells, members of the Apopka Cheer and Dance Board, told The Apopka Chief.   

Both Hyatt and Fells said the mission of Apopka Pop Warner, on the cheer and football side, is to create a space for the youth of the community to grow and learn through discipline, hard work, and fun.  

They said that rebranding the Apopka Pop Warner organization has been key to achieving that. Their goal is to make Apopka Pop Warner the hub for the youth in Apopka to come compete and be part of a family.   

Hyatt said she and Fells were initially just parents in the organization. However, the Apopka community and the culture within the Apopka Pop Warner organization made them fall in love with it.   

“We just really fell in love with how true Apopka is to itself in tradition,” Hyatt said. “So neither one of us are from Apopka originally, so our kids are now growing up, and they go to Wolf Lake. Just being part of that organization in itself and creating those ties to the community has been such a blessing for us, because we don’t have family in the area. So we love that, and we’re trying to really focus our efforts on bridging the gap with the community.” 

Numerous youth sports organizations offer different options, and many Apopka athletes are choosing to go out of their hometown to play. Hyatt and Fells said they are trying to fix that.   

“Youth sports has changed so much recently, and there are so many different areas that you can go,” Hyatt said. “You can go elite, or you can go all-star cheer, you know? And football players are playing for Altamonte when they live right here in Apopka. So, we’re really trying to reconnect with the community and bring everyone back home.”  

Hyatt and Fells said they are hoping to accomplish their goals through community involvement and results. From being a part of the Christmas parade to becoming one of the top Pop Warner programs in the Central Florida area, Apopka Pop Warner is trying to become a premier organization once again.  

“I think a lot of people forgot about Pop Warner, so we’re just trying to bring a freshness back to it,” Hyatt said.   

Hyatt and Fells said the program’s success can be attributed to the participants’ dedication at every level of their organization. From the parents to the kids to the coaches – everyone was in 100%, they said. Even the football side of Apopka Pop Warner showed their support for their sister organization.  

“There would be nights that our girls were nervous about performing in front of crowds,” Hyatt said. “We’d have older football players, perhaps our 12U and 13U teams, come watch them and support them. And honestly, the first time we saw ourselves hit our routine effortlessly was in front of the football players because they wanted to make sure that they performed at their best.” 

With the success of last season, the organization has seen immediate results. They have received outstanding outreach from the community, including people who are willing to help with fundraising and other initiatives. They will actually host a fundraiser this Saturday and Sunday at the Rock Springs Publix at 1545 Rock Springs Road. Read more about it in our story on the fundraiser.   

Apopka Cheer and Dance also has 30 new members this year, proving that whatever they are doing is working.   

“We have 30 new cheerleaders that haven’t cheered for Pop Warner before,” Fells said. “So that’s a testament to what we put out there to the community.”  

With those new members, the group has a renewed motivation to not only return to the national stage but go even further this year. The goal now is to have all of their teams take home first at Nationals and then head to Globals in Charlotte, North Carolina.   

Hyatt and Fells both said they hope they can repeat their success and take the team to Nationals and then Globals. If they can, they said they will have successfully rebuilt their organization into one of the best in Central Florida and into a program Apopka area kids and parents can be proud they belong to.   

“I think that Apopka has had some wins previously, but not to this level,” Hyatt said. “So I think that just us being able to do it again will really prove that we are now a force to be reckoned with. We can go toe to toe with some of the nation’s best and still come out on top. It’s not just football anymore here.”