LaFayette Parks and Rec kicks off football, cheer
BY KADIE TAYLOR
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
LAFAYETTE — LaFayette Parks and Recreation is kicking off football and cheer seasons. Football registration is $100 and due on June 8, and cheer registration is $120 due on July 18 for both football and basketball seasons.
LaFayette Parks and Recreation Cheer Director Ebony Askew and Director of Football Operations Kinjilro Brown said they are excited for another season of youth sports and the confidence it gives young athletes.
“When I coach, first and foremost, I try to make sure that they have fun, so they're always engaged, and then at the same time I'm heavy on discipline, because that's what you need in life,” said Brown. “I try to make sure they keep a positive attitude, and that they have work ethic.”
“It's very important to develop skills early because it helps when they transition out of parks and rec and maybe want to try out for JV cheer,” said Askew. “I just had a couple of girls who were in parks and rec transition to JV, and so they were confident in their skills because they started early. I think while being a part of parks and rec, they develop friendships and they develop their own identity.”
As families navigate summer plans and activities, Askew said offering affordable athletic options for community members is important for ensuring accessibility for locals.
“I think it's very important for sports to be affordable, because every parent's household situation is different,” she said. “That I feel like that's another benefit to doing early registration, because you can kind of attack those circumstances early versus later. If a parent may need some type of assistance, sometimes we do have people to reach out and say they don't mind sponsoring a child. So, in those aspects, I feel like we try our best to make things affordable.”
With LaFayette Parks and Rec led by volunteers, Askew said additional volunteers and sponsors are always appreciated.
“The more volunteers, the better,” she said. “Even for our upper-class high school students who want to aid or help with the coaches or anything like that, we welcome it. I feel like it's just encouraging for the community and for the children to see so many people involved in their sports.”
Through interacting with young athletes, both coaches said they enjoy watching participants grow from unsure to confident in their athletic abilities and place on a team throughout a season.
“I have seen children coming in with no confidence [end the season with] all the confidence in the world, one coming in shy, not speaking [growing to where we] can't get them to stop talking,” Brown said. “I love that, that's my favorite part about it is seeing the growth and development of the children.”
“[The children] attach themselves to you as a coach, because they're not as confident, and then by the end of the season, they have held on to you so much, now they can let go and be okay,” Askew said. “I feel like that is rewarding, and that's the impact that we want to have in our community.”
For more information, visit Parks & Recreation of LaFayette on Facebook.
“We welcome any community support,” Askew said. “We do have sponsorship opportunities for the parks and rec, not just for individual programs. So we welcome anybody who desires to pour back into the community through parks and recreation.”
