The Super Bowl of Pop Warner is this Saturday in Florida with 64 teams from around the nation competing, but this year is marred by controversy over whether the team from Carson should be allowed to compete.
The Carson Ravens are a division one team who actually lost their regional competition. But the local coaches say after the winning Southern California teams decided not to go to Florida for the so-called Super Bowl, the Carson team was invited by the western regional leaders to play as a division two team.
The parents spent thousands on flights and hotel reservations, but just two days before they were due to travel, Carson got word from the National Pop Warner Organization that East Coast teams were complaining it wasn’t fair.
The Carson team was uninvited.
Now the parents want their money back.
"I think it was just a mistake but it’s easy to rectify. If they take a look and do the right thing they have two choices – either reimburse us or let the kids play,"Michael Hochberg, parent and coach, said.
An email the Carson coaches say came from the National Pop Warner Organization called the situation a mistake at the regional level.
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Calls from the national and regional leaders but our calls have not been returned.
Most of the big players have already traveled to Florida, ready for the big game.
The parents have contacted a lawyer to see if there’s any way for them to get their travel money back.
They’ve been told there will be no reimbursement.
