Hey sports fans, it's that time of the year again. The City of Hickory is calling on all young athletes to gear up, because youth tackle football and soccer registrations are open, and if your little champs are hoping to hit the fields this fall, you've got to move fast. Heads up, Hickory dwellers get to sign their kids up for free, but if you're living beyond city limits, you'll have to cough up a $40 nonresident fee, all this according to details posted on hickory.recdesk.com.
If your kid is a rookie to the Hickory Parks, Recreation & Sports Tourism Department, remember to drop a copy of their birth certificate at the Administrative Offices before they lace up. As for the future football stars, you have age brackets to consider. "The age group is determined by the player’s age on Aug. 31, 2025. Children who turn 13 before Aug. 31 are not eligible to participate," points out the city's site. The categories break down into Pee Wee for ages 7 and 8, JV for the 9 and 10-year-olds, and Varsity for those 11 and 12. There's also a mention of a $60 equipment fee for football participants, and yes, a current physical is a must-have.
Now, let’s talk soccer: similar to football, the cutoff is based on how old your kids are come August 31. The soccer league's goalposts are set for boys and girls under 14, with different divisions including Co-Ed 5U and 7U, Boys and Girls 10U, plus Boys and Girls 13U. And to kick things off fairly, all these young Messis and Alex Morgans need to show up for a skills assessment, which will take place between August 11-14 over at Neill Clark Recreation Park. So, mark your calendars.
Remember, procrastination isn’t part of the game plan. "THE DEADLINE TO REGISTER FOR ALL FALL SPORTS TEAMS IS WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, AT 5 P.M.," the official word goes. So if you don't want to miss out, better register before the buzzer. Any confusion, or some fine print you need clarification on, shoot a call to Chris Johnson or Robbie Link at 828-322-7046, Ext. 2, they're the sports programmers with the play-by-play.
