The Importance of Early Football Registration

Registration for the Jake Bender Youth Football Camp and fall football is in full swing now for the South River Youth Athletics. Early registration is beneficial and strongly encouraged for a number of reasons.

The SRYA Jake Bender Youth Football Camp is a one-day football camp held June 25. Planning and preparations are currently underway for this event. The kids are divided into groups. Each group rotates through several stations which allow the kids to experience different aspects of football as well as interact with NFL players, Jake Bender of the Carolina Panthers and Vince Anderson of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Early head counts enable the camp director to designate the groups before the camp day. It also allows for the appropriate number and sizes of t-shirts and shorts as well as lunch courtesy of. There will be a lot going on that day. If SRYA has a good idea of how many kids are participating, then the day will run smoother and we all can concentrate on fun and football.

The SRYA football program begins July 18. Early registration is essential for this program as well. The county dictates that once a team hits 30 players it must split into two teams. Through early registration, the football commissioner can effectively plan for any team splits and can recruit coaches for these new teams before practice begins. A good idea for the number of teams for the upcoming season also allows for better planning of field practice space. Early registration helps to plan for the correct amount of equipment and uniforms for the season. SRYA's goal for the fall football program this year is to have everyone registered and paid before July 18 to avoid any last minute emergencies and to get everyone on the field practicing and getting ready for the games to start in August.

There is a lot of planning and organization that goes into the SRYA football program, but it needs the help of our old and new football families. If we can get everyone to register early and pay on time, then administrative hassles will be at a minimum which will allow for fluid movement into the football season. It is important to note that payment does not have to be made at time of registration, but everyone must by paid in full by July 18. The excitement is building for a great start to the 2011 SRYA football season! Please visit www.srya.org to register today.