Russellville Parks, Recreation fall youth sports registration ends Aug. 19
Although fall sports won’t begin until early-to-mid-September, when the heat of summer begins to dissipate, registration for Russellville Parks and Rec Department leagues has been in full swing – and is now in its final days.
Parents who want to sign children signed up to participate in fall youth sports in the City of Russellville must do so by Aug. 19, with a final opportunity to sign up available at the Parks and Rec booth at the Watermelon Festival. Parks and Recreation’s Carrie Dover said the department will have a booth open for registration from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday near city hall.
Sports will kick off at the beginning of September, so sign-ups cannot be extended, and Saturday will be the very last day, Dover emphasized.
Children ages 3-12 are invited to sign up for one or more of the numerous sports the department offers each fall.
Biddy Body Soccer is designed for children 3-5, providing an introduction to team sports for the very youngest of future athletic stars. For children 6-12, Parks and Recreation will offer soccer, baseball, volleyball, softball and flag football.
“Fall sports are broken up into two phases,” Dover explained. “Phase 1 is biddy body soccer, soccer, baseball and softball. They will begin playing around Sept. 5. Phase 2, volleyball and flag football, will begin play around Sept. 19.”
Registration is $30 per child, with discounts for additional siblings in the same family. All teams, Dover said, will be drafted by coaches.
Youth sports will be spread across the many athletic facilities Russellville offers. Biddy Body soccer and soccer will be played at the soccer field located near the Mullins Center. Baseball teams will compete at the Lee Complex, Eastside and, if completed, Hal Kirby Park, as will softball. Volleyball will be at the Rec Center, and flag football will be at the Lee Complex.
“Recreational sports help bring people together, providing opportunities for social interaction,” Dover said. “I feel like in this day and age when everyone is so focused on their phone/electronic device, it’s good to get both children and their parents out of the house interacting with others face-to-face instead of screen to screen.”
That break from screen time, however, isn’t the only benefit, Dover said. “As always with sports, it helps develop life skills and leadership abilities in all children that are involved, which in turn helps to heighten each child’s self-esteem and self-worth.” Dover also endorsed the “lifelong friendships that form while playing.”
In addition to the Watermelon Festival, sign-up sheets are located at the Rec Center, 201 Ash Ave., in Russellville.
The Parks and Recreation Department is also in need of coaches and volunteers. “If they would like to coach their child’s team, all they need to do when signing their child up is put on the application that they would like to coach,” Dover said.
