Photo courtesy of Cinnamon McCulley.
Vestavia Rec League
When his second child, Harry, started showing interest in football, Vestavia Hills father of four Hopson Nance discovered something that surprised him. Vestavia Hills had no recreational youth football league.
In 2011, Harry – then a fifth-grader – joined about 15 other Vestavia kids in the Over the Mountain league, based in Hoover.
At that time, the Over the Mountain league was attracting more than 15 Vestavia families of kids who wanted an outlet to play ball on a limited, short season schedule and to play locally.
“That was some of the genesis of what started the Vestavia Hills Recreational Football League,” said Nance, who serves as president of the league. The League limits itself to an eight-game season and only plays in Hoover and Vestavia. “There was a need here in town for kids who wanted something different and for parents to expose their kids to the game while enjoying a short season and hyper-local schedule.”
After Nance sought and received permission from the Vestavia Hills Youth Football group, he began the Rec League. This fall, Vestavia Hills Recreational Football League will begin its fourth season. The league is open to boys who will be in third through sixth grades during the 2014-15 school year.
With his youngest child, Henry, soon to age out of the program, Nance is making the 2014 season his last. This year, he will train and eventually transition the Rec League leadership to Kirk McCulley.
“This program has been great for my family,” said McCulley. “By giving all players the opportunity to play for at least half of every game, the League offers each child the chance to develop their football skills and build their confidence in a competitive environment.”
Nance concurred. A native of Clarksdale, Mississippi, he played at the high school level in the positions of center and linebacker, and he still remembers some of the life lessons it taught him.
“It has taught my boys to work hard, and to work well with others,” said Nance. “And it’s always helpful when your children are in an environment where they are pushed and where someone besides you, the parent, is encouraging them.”
To register, go to https://vestaviayf.sportssignup.com/
