The preseason jamborees for the Cape Youth Football Association and Cape Junior Football Association were overcast, humid and soggy, but hundreds of fans and parents turned out for the preliminary start of the 2009 season.
From now until Oct. 14 local teams will be facing off at the Storm’s Complex each Saturday from around 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Early into this weekend’s play, officials had to halt the action because of rain and the potential for lightning.
Increased rain and storms this fall have altered the amount of time each time has practiced, explained Lance Reynolds, vice president of the Cape Coral Youth Football Association and a coach.
“The rain this year is more than I’ve ever seen,” said Reynolds. “We practice five days a week and last week we got only two days and one hour.”
Even though local teams have been short on practices, Reynolds said that child involvement in youth football is higher than its ever been.
“As far as the economy, we thought we’d be down numbers but we are up from last year,” he said.
At the beginning of the 2008 season the football league had 420 children sign up and this year that amount increased to 450 with 15 children placed on a waiting list.
This year there are are three Tiny Might teams, two Mighty Might teams, one Junior Pee Wee team, one Pee Wee, one Junior Midget and one Midget, he said.
Organizers worked feverishly on Saturday afternoon to pump some of the water away from the field so games could resume. Parents and fans also waited patiently under tents and umbrellas for the storm clouds to pass.
The Naples Hurricanes traveled to the Storms Complex this weekend to take on the Cape Coral Hurricanes and on September 5 the North Fort Myers Knights will come to Cape Coral. Full schedules are available.
The community is invited to attend this season’s youth football games.
“We are here every Saturday, all day long,” said Jorge Mazur, athletic director of Cape Coral Youth Football Association.