By Justin Fedich | The Selma Times-Journal

A youth football and cheerleading program in Valley Grande will have to wait another year.

Despite hopes of adding pee wee football, youth football and youth cheerleading to the city of Valley Grande, plans were canceled this week before registration even began. Valley Grande Mayor Wayne Labbe said money concerns and a lack of interest from the public led to the cancellation.

“We were just having feelers out to see if there was enough interest, and we just didn’t feel like there was enough interest to start it this year,” Labbe said.

Valley Grande posted on Facebook notifying those interested to call the head of the recreation department if they wanted to sign their boys up for football. Ultimately, Labbe said there were not enough parents who called to show interest.

Registration was set to start on July 30, but due to the lack of interest, Labbe said it was important to cancel beforehand because he wanted to make sure players interested would still have time to register in Maplesville and Selma before the registration days for those programs came to a close.

“I certainly didn’t want to put the parents and the little boys in a situation to where it was too late for them to go sign up somewhere else,” Labbe said.

Terry Jackson, the football director for the Selma Recreation Department, knows what it takes to build a youth football program. Jackson understands why Valley Grande would cancel its youth football program because he knows how much more expensive football is than other sports.

“Most towns can’t buy everything for the kids,” Jackson said.

While Valley Grande won’t be adding youth football this year, a youth softball program is in the works. Labbe said there have been plenty of requests for softball recently.

Some of the resources originally set out for football might be used for softball instead.

“We were looking to have to convert one of our fields up here to a football field. At this point in time, we’re wanting to convert that particular field to a softball field,” Labbe said.

Youth football is still very much a part of Valley Grande’s future plans. Labbe hopes there is more interest next year and plans on giving citizens more time to voice their opinion. If enough parents in Valley Grande express their interest in youth football and cheerleading next year, it should happen.

“We’re going to try it again next year and hopefully we get our survey out there in time and hopefully we can generate some interest, enough interest to get it started,” Labbe said.

Registration continues for Selma’s youth football league until Aug. 22.

There is a $10 registration fee, even for players who participated last year. The registration fee is mandatory and non-refundable.

To register, a child must bring his birth certificate, the registration fee of $10 and an adult has to sign the registration card.  Also, the child must be present so that he can be weighed at the time of registration. Registration will take place Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on the following Saturdays: Aug. 8, Aug. 15 and Aug. 22. For more information, call the Selma Recreation Department at 874-2141.