By J.R. Tidwell / Editor

Registration is now open for the fall 2018 flag football league organized by Cornerstone Fitness & Wellness in Clanton.

Any parent or guardian wishing to sign up a child may do so from July 9 through Aug. 10 at Cornerstone, which is located at 110 Baker Ave. The cost is $125 per player, with discounts for families who register multiple players.

According to Cornerstone co-owner Barry Baker, the center began the league last year.

“It is through NFL Flag,” Baker said. “Last year, we had teams in the kindergarten through first grade division, second and third grade division and then fourth grade and up. This year we hope that it grows.”

The kindergarten through first grade division and second and third grade division will remain the same this season. The fourth grade and up will be split into two divisions: fourth and fifth grade and sixth through eighth grade.

“We have had a ton of interest in it and people contacting us about it,” Baker said. “Hopefully we will have more players and more teams this year. We had four teams in each division last year, except for the older division that had three teams. Our goal is to have a fourth grade through fifth grade division and sixth through eighth grade.”

Evaluations will be held Aug. 11 at Clanton City Park. Players who will be in kindergarten through third grade during the upcoming school year will be evaluated at 9 a.m., while players that will be in fourth through eighth grade will be evaluated at 10 a.m.

The draft for the league will be held on Aug. 16. The season will get underway Sept. 8.

“It’s neat,” Baker said of the league. “We play on Saturday mornings, and we use NFL Flag rules. It’s a shrunk field. It gives kids a chance to develop agility and work on their throwing and catching.”

Baker said that one reason he wanted Cornerstone to organize the flag football league was to give kids like his son a chance to play the sport without contact.

“My son has a little problem with his head with a part of his brain,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons I became interested in hosting the league. I’m a big football guy. I love football. I wasn’t ready for him to play tackle football, but I wanted him to do something where he could remain active and be around the sport. I’m not saying he’ll never play tackle football, but right now I don’t want him to play it due to the condition he has.

“We started it up, and there ended up being a lot of kids with parents who thought similar things. I have been contacted by several school coaches who want their high school or middle school kids to play flag football.”