Freedom football registration begins – The Union-Recorder

Freedom Church is in its fifth year of offering a tackle football alternative to families in the Milledgeville and Baldwin County area.

Registration is now open for kids ages 5 to 11 with three different league options dependent upon the player's age. Families may register online at http://www.freedomchurch.net or in person at the church leading right up to player evaluations that begin Thursday, Aug. 3. The fee per player is $95 but increases to $105 if families register past Aug. 13.

"Our evaluation dates [and times] are on the website and a lot of times people just come in and register when we do evaluations," said Patrick Rainey, member of the Freedom pastoral staff and football league coordinator.

The church provides helmets, shoulder pads and a jersey to each player while parents are responsible for cleats, mouthpiece and white pants with pads.

Rainey said the league has four fundamentals it wants to keep to in order to provide a good experience to the players including providing a safe environment, make playing fun for the kids, making games competitive, and maintaining a Christian atmosphere.

"During halftime we share a devotion and we also encourage our coaches to build up our players," he said. "It is still a football program and they do things that football teams do, but we encourage the coaches to encourage the players to pray with them, and build them up because a lot of these kids that come here don't have the best home life. Here we want to provide a good environment for them."

Coaches do not need to be certified in order to lead a team, but the league coordinator said he does hold a meeting prior to each season in which he lays out what is expected of them. Last year's league produced seven teams and Rainey said he figures to be in that same neighborhood this season.

"The last three or four years we've had right around 115 to 120 players. I don't know if that will increase or if it's just going to kind of stay where it's at. We're hoping for it to continue to grow. That's our prayer, but I'm expecting the same or more. I don't think it'll be any less."

Rainey added that the football league has done more than just provide a fun, competitive, and Christian atmosphere for the kids, but has also allowed Freedom to reach out to more people in the community.

"As far as the church we have benefited from it," he said. "We've had people to join our church because of the football ministry. Through the football ministry they have come to know the pastors and have really built a relationship so with that they have joined the church"

For more information on Freedom football visit the church's website http://www.freedomchurch.net.

See the article here:

Freedom football registration begins - The Union-Recorder