Author note: There are certain articles that I write that I know without a shadow of a doubt will make some readers let out a massive exhale, pick up the phone, and call a loved one to say “I found what we’ve been looking for!” And this is one of them. I’m so thrilled to share this.
As a mom of three children, I empathize with the confusion of which activities to put your child in. Youth extracurricular activities are becoming much more demanding both financially and timewise than they were years ago, which leaves many parents and caretakers confused about which sport or activity to sign their children up for. Many parents of preschool and elementary students would say that they are interested in athletic options that are low pressure, enjoyable, and manageable for both the family schedule and the bank account.
Heritage church pastor and local longtime Madison resident Suzanne Katschke understands that times have changed and activities have shifted; She raised her own daughter here in Madison who was involved in many sports and activities, and now Katschke’s grandchildren are beginning youth activities as well.
“Times have changed,” Katschke says, “and parents are worn out trying to run here and there.”
“We are all over the place these days, so we wanted to figure out a way to let kids play sports where it’s not on a club level but they still have a ton of fun.”
This idea put a whole series of events into motion, the right people were put in place, and Heritage Sports was born.
In a nutshell, Heritage Sports is a year-round youth developmental athletic program for children ages 4-12 who are interested in playing soccer, football, baseball, or participating in cheerleading.
“A lot of parents want their children to try out a few of these sports but they don’t want to commit for many months,” says Katschke, who continues to share that each “season” is just seven weeks long.
Soccer and cheerleading will begin on Saturday, August 13th and conclude on September 24th.
Baseball and football will run from October 15th through November 19th.
Registration is now open for all four sports but closes for soccer and cheerleading on August 1st. Football and baseball registration ends on October 1st.
Each Saturday session consists of a 90-minute commitment. Athletes will practice for 45 minutes and then play games for the last 45 minutes. Athletes will enjoy learning basic skills, putting those skills into practice via weekly games, and then hearing a short devotion together at halftime.
“This is easy in, easy out,” says Katschke. “We are going to have real fun with real friends and talk about real faith.”
Katschke says that in order to bring Heritage Sports to life, it was important to put the right people in place in order to offer a credible, quality youth athletic experience. For this reason, she has teamed up with Keyana Malone and Tynesha Malone, a local sister duo who both have extensive athletic experience.
“These women understand sports and are doing an incredible job. Their expectations for what we will offer these kids and how we will grow the program are huge. We are very fortunate to have them.”
To make the Heritage Sports experience even more enjoyable and meaningful, Katschke says that there will often be food trucks and snow cone trucks on site and that teams may also complete a small service project together too.
Kids will be divided up appropriately by their age/grade, and there are opportunities for parents to volunteer with the teams as well. The fee for the season is $110, though parents will be asked to purchase cleats and shin guards for their soccer players. Otherwise, there are no additional hidden fees or commitments of any kind.
Practices will begin around 9:30 each Saturday morning at Heritage Park, a beautiful 14-acre field off of Huntsville Brownsferry just a quarter mile west of Publix on County Line Road.
“There is nothing that warms my heart more than seeing kids out there having a good time and seeing adults invest in the next generation.”
She says that everyone involved with Heritage Sports is thrilled to provide parents with this alternative to other youth athletic options and hopes the community enjoys the opportunities they will continue to provide.
Quick Links for Heritage Sports
Sign up for soccer or cheerleading (the deadline is August 1st, 2022)
Sign up for football or baseball (the deadline is October 1st, 2022)
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