Deadline for rec program registration extended

The deadline for rec sports registration has been extended by one week, so parents may sign their children up for fall athletics through Friday, Aug. 24.
Becky Bracewell, director of the Grady County Recreation Department, says that with school starting somewhat later than usual, the department has not had a chance to promote fall sports to parents and students through school bulletins and announcements.
By extending the deadline, Bracewell hopes to allow time for more parents to hear about rec sports through the school and register their children.
Bracewell urges parents to get their kids involved in this opportunity “to learn how to interact with other kids.”
According to Bracewell, Grady County offers youth athletics at such reasonable prices that parents from Bainbridge and other surrounding communities have asked to register their kids in Grady County programs.
“Our costs for rec programs are so much lower than everywhere else,” says Bracewell, who also reminds the community, “if you work in Grady County, own property here, go to school or live here, then you are eligible [to sign your kids up for rec athletics].”
Fall sports through the Recreation Department are flag football, tackle football, cheerleading and soccer. Fall sports programs cater to youth between the ages of 5 and 17, with certain age restrictions applying to different sports. Specific registration information can be found at the Grady County Recreation Department website: http://www.gradycountyga.gov/departments/rec.htm.
The relatively low cost of joining Grady County rec programs often includes the use of equipment, too. The $25 cost for football, for example, includes the use of helmets and shoulder pads for the season. “We try to keep costs minimal to have kids participating,” claims Bracewell, who says she views athletics as a great outlet for kids to spend time with one another and learn to live a physically active life.
The Recreation Department offers different sports throughout the school year. In the winter, the department runs an instructional basketball league, and in the spring it offers T-ball, softball and baseball.