Nowhere to go
Jan. 31—After beginning to search for a place for players in the Lebanon Youth Football and Cheer League to play their games, president David Paris said that the situation has gotten more challenging after losing its practice space at Winfree Bryant Middle School.
"Now, it's worse because we don't have anywhere to practice, and we don't have anywhere to play," Paris said. "It's challenging. Winfree Bryant's got a lot going on to where we can't be there for flag season, which they've never done flag for us before. They usually do tackle for us."
According to Paris, the league doesn't have a lot of options for its flag football season, which takes place in the spring.
"It just kind of sucks, trying to find somewhere to get these kids to be able to play football," Paris said. "If we don't have football here, then kids just end up going somewhere else to play football.
More kids typically participate in the league's flag football season. Last year, there were 36 teams, with an average of 10 kids per team. There were also three dance teams with approximately 15 dancers per squad.
Paris indicated that he had a meeting at the fairgrounds on Tuesday to discuss a potential rental agreement.
"I think they're going to work with us, which is awesome," Paris said. "It takes away a little more from the kids when you have to pay for somewhere to practice and play."
On Monday, Paris said that he thought that renting space the fairgrounds would work out.
"I only think that because it has to," Paris said. "I've tried contacting different schools, and I haven't heard anything positive. Some just don't answer. I tried even reaching out to Friendship Christian to see if maybe that was a possibility, and I couldn't get an answer back from them. I'm trying everywhere I can try."
Paris said that the league doesn't have a place to store its equipment. Lebanon Youth Football and Cheerleading provides helmets and jerseys for its players. It also provides scholarships for registration fees for players whose families are on government assistance.
The league's teams were previously practicing at Fairview Church. For 13 years, it has had to find its own places to practice and to play games.
"We got too big, and they wanted to use more of their church on more days," Paris said. "We took up the whole parking lot there on the days we did practice. The days we did practice were the days they didn't have (church activities), and they wanted to start doing more there."
The church allowed for the league to finish its tackle season in November.
