Area parks hosting tourneys
This weekend, Ellis-Methvin Park and the Otis M. Andrews Sports Complex will host the 2019 Florida Elite Football & Cheerleading Kickoff Classic.
Twenty of the league’s 22 teams will compete Saturday and Sunday with start times of 9 a.m. (6U), 10:30 a.m. (8U), 12 p.m. (10U), 1:30 p.m. (12U) and 3:30 p.m. (14U). The cost to attend is $10 per person for adults and $5 per child. Florida Elite Football and Cheer consists of teams from the greater Tampa and Orlando areas, as well as Ocala.
Tri-County football, cheer season begins this week
Tomorrow’s stars of the gridiron and the cheerleading mat don’t have long to wait before the Tri-County Youth Football and Cheerleading Conference regular season starts back up.
All teams will begin their 2019 campaigns on Saturday and, weather permitting, will play every Saturday with the exception of Aug. 30. Kickoff times for 2019 are 9 a.m. (Mighty Mites), 10:30 a.m. (Pee-Wees) 12 p.m. (Midgets), 2 p.m. (Junior Varsity) and 4 p.m. (Varsity). Though none of the Plant City-area teams are scheduled to host games during the first and second round of playoffs, the Plant City Dolphins are set to host the Superbowl championship games on Nov. 16 and the Turkey Creek Trojans will host the Cheer-Off championships on Oct. 26.
Visit webmaster672.wixsite.com/tcyfcc for more information.
City flag football registration starts up
The 53rd season of the Plant City Recreation and Parks Department/Optimist Youth Flag Football Program is nearly here and all area boys and girls age 4-15 (as of Nov. 1, 2019) can sign up now.
Kids in five age groups play Saturday mornings at the Otis M. Andrews Sports Complex, 2602 E. Cherry St., from Sept. 14 through Nov. 2. There are no practices, no pads and no coaches — teams have weekly meetings and “instructing officials” make sure everyone on every team has the chance to make a play with the ball. The department advertises the league as a means to “provide basic training in football skills and rules along with positive leadership to build the character and overall citizenship of the players.”
The cost is $35 per player for the eight-game season and that includes accident insurance and a jersey. Register by Aug. 28 at the PCRPD’s main office, 1904 S. Park Road. Call 813-659-4255 for more information.
Sign up for TOPSoccer
The Outreach Program for Soccer (TOPSoccer) is hosting sign-ups soon and Plant City-area players are welcome to join.
The Brandon-based league, which caters to special needs players age 5 and up, will begin registering players Aug. 9 at the West Florida Flames Soccer League fields, 3104 S. Kings Ave., Brandon. Athletes can sign up from 6 to 7:30 p.m. during two Friday/Saturday periods: Aug. 9 and 10, then Aug. 16 and 17. Both Friday registration sessions run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and the Saturday sessions run from 9 to 11 a.m.
All players are required to have a copy of their IEP at registration. High schoolers and adults interested in volunteering are asked to attend one of the registrations.
TOPSoccer uses a “relaxed format” with no practices, scorekeeping or team standings and rankings. The program is free for families thanks to sponsors’ support. The season begins Sept. 7 and ends Nov. 16.
For more information, call Ken Muzyk at (813) 657-5271 or email Fred Englehardt at brandontops@aol.com. TOPSoccer also has a Facebook page, facebook.com/BrandonTOPSoccer, that is updated regularly.