Johnson City Parks and Recreation
A Walk in the Park Your Parks and Recreation Connection
Special points of interest: ~ Spring Youth Soccer Draws Over 1,200! ~ Administration Highlights ~ Athletic Division Highlights ~ Park Services Division Highlights ~ Recreation Services Highlights - Kudos Corner ~ Calendar of Events
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Spring Youth Soccer Draws Over 1,200! Johnson City Parks and Recreation’s Spring Youth Soccer games began April 6 with 1,241 exuberant youngsters participating in the 82-team, six-age-group program at Civitan and Winged Deer parks. “This is by far one of the largest youth soccer leagues in the state that’s a true parks and recreation program,” said Amanda Hollifield, Athletics manager. “We’ve got a lot of competition, but we do all the hiring and run the entire program.” Hollifield said 364 children between 3-5 are engaged in the coed age group, a jump from the 305 that registered last spring. “That’s where they really start learning,” she said. “Soccer is a great way to learn motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Our goal is to provide kids with a fun opportunity that allows them to be interactive. We’ve got great coaches and great fields and we want to give kids and parents a great experience.” Seventy-four girls between 12-15 registered, a number well above average. Also, a total of 165 volunteer coaches are involved this spring, 82 of which are head coaches who received training on concussions and cardiac arrest. More than a dozen of these volunteers coach multiple teams. Age groups are 3-5 (coed), 6-7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13 and 14-15. Children are placed according to Johnson City school districts. An average of two games are played each week per team during the 10-week season. Registration for Parks and Recreation’s fall soccer program begins July 8. Practices start in August, and games begin in early September.