BY IVAN SANDERS

STAR STAFF

Ivan.sanders@elizabethton.com

There’s a growing trend in youth football to keep kids five and six years old from playing contact or tackle football due to the issues surrounding concussions.

In recognizing this trend, the Elizabethton/Carter County Boys and Girls Club will not be having tackle football for that age group this year.

However, that doesn’t mean that five and six-year-olds will not have an opportunity to play the sport in an organized setting as the Boys and Girls Club is teaming up with the Witten Huddle at the East Tennessee Sports Complex to offer flag football to boys and girls that are five and six years old.

The Witten Huddle has offered the program for a while so it only made sense for the two programs to come together.

“This is the trend for the future with the young ones,” said Rik Anderson of the Elizabethton/Carter County Boys and Girls Club. “It will be a league where the kids will be taught the way they need to be taught.”

According to Anderson, football signups are now underway and parents can register their children at the Boys and Girls Club website by going to www.bgcecc.org and going under the programs tab and selecting athletic leagues.

Once in the system, an account will need to be created for each child and then the child can be signed up for whatever league meets the requirements based on the child’s age.

Signups are open once again to all age groups that are wishing to participate in football for the upcoming season.

The cost to participate in the flag football league is $65 and that covers everything the child will need for the season.

“The league will consist of eight to ten players per team and there will be seven players on the field at a time for each team,” stated Anderson.

Anderson went on to say that if anyone had any questions that he could be reached at the club by calling 423-543-2946 or by calling Ryan Witten at Witten Huddle.