The Angels march around the bases during opening day ceremonies for the 5-and-6-year-old division of Athens Parks and Recreation. The city’s parks and rec department has plenty of options for children to take advantage of, including individual and team sports.

One of the more pressing issues regarding youth is health and physical fitness. The World Health Organization recommends at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day.

Having physical activities is even more pressing for youths nowadays, when kids have the option of sitting on the couch at home watching videos or playing games on any number of electronic devices.

Fortunately for children in Athens and Limestone County, there are a myriad of options when it comes to staying physically fit while being a part of a team.

The Athens Parks and Recreation department has plenty of options for children to take advantage of, including individual and team sports.

Some of the individual activities the parks and rec department offers are archery, karate and soccer shots.

The archery program is for children ages 8 and up, and it is offered in both the spring and fall. Registration for the spring program is going on now. Classes will take place every Wednesday in March and the first Wednesday in April.

The karate program teaches children ages 6 and up the art of Wadō-ryū karate, a style founded by Hironori Ōtsuka almost a century ago.

The Soccer Shots program offers soccer instructions for children ages 2–8 and has both a spring and fall session. There is also a Soccer Shots camp during the summer.

There are also plenty of team sports available for children who want to enjoy playing their favorite sport with old friends while making new friends at the same time.

The three spring sports that will take place at the Athens Sportsplex are baseball, softball and soccer. The baseball and softball leagues are for children ages 5–12, while the soccer league is for children ages 5–13. Four-year-olds can also register to play as long as they will turn 5 before the end of the calendar year.

Athens Parks and Recreation director Ben Wiley said the Sportsplex is also expected to open a new pod of four fields that will be able to host baseball and softball this spring.

There are already two four-field pods at the Athens Sportsplex, with the north pod being for softball and the south pod for baseball. The new pod will be east of those two and be used for both softball and baseball.

“They’re still being worked on but should be finished by the start of the season,” Wiley said. “We have every intention of having our opening day (April 7) on those fields.”

Wiley said he expects upwards of 1,300 children to sign up and participate in those three sports this spring.

“Last year, baseball had about 560, spring soccer had about 450 and softball had about 310. We hope for growth this year. Hopefully, everybody comes back, and even more come with the addition of the new fields.”

In addition to the spring sports, Athens Parks and Recreation also has tennis, volleyball and flag football — all of which take place in the summer — and basketball, which takes place in the winter.

For more information on any of these sports or activities, contact the Athens Parks and Recreation Department at 256-233-8740.

Wiley said youth sports play an important role in the lives of not just the participants but the community as a whole.

“It allows you to take recreation for what it means — recreate that time into building friendships that will last a lifetime and have the community come together for a positive cause to watch young people commit to something and grow with it,” he said. “The amount of enthusiasm is amazing. You might walk in (the Sportsplex) having a bad day, but once you start watching that T-ball, it will change your whole outlook.”

There are also plenty of sports options for youth in Limestone County. Each school or community in the county has its own sports teams that compete against other schools or communities in football, basketball and baseball.

It is a great way for children to compete against those from other parts of Limestone County and meet new people in the process. Each county school has information about youth sporting events in the county for parents who have any questions.

Whether a child lives in the city of Athens or in one of the communities in Limestone County, there are plenty of options to lead a healthy lifestyle while making new friends and memories that will be cherished for a lifetime.