Here' s the scoop on fall youth sports

Dusty Cline: Fotolia

While the new school year and fall sports still are weeks away, a number of area youth leagues are opening registration now.
Pearland is rich in youth sports opportunities. Leagues range from highly competitive programs designed to prepare students for junior high and high school teams to more inclusive programs that emphasize learning and fun.
A sampling of fall youth sports in the area is described below:
• Pearland Youth Lacrosse, which was established in September 2009, is working with YMCA facilities in Pearland, Alvin and the Clear Lake area this fall to establish programs for players ages 8-11.
Our goal for the YMCA programs this fall is for the players to learn the basic concepts," PYLAX president and founding board member Mark Gray said. When the spring comes, they can be major contributors."
The organization also is interested in forming teams specifically for middle school and junior high school-age players to prepare them for high school competition.
Currently, the league is open to boys in grades 5-12 and girls in grades 6-12 in Pearland, Alvin and Manvel.
Gray said he would like to see more girls experience the benefits of Lacrosse.
Lacrosse is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country," he said. "You have to move; it requires a lot of hand-eye coordination and team strategy."
Details: www.pylax.org or message plax1@gmail.com.
• Fun, Fair Positive Soccer is known for welcoming all players, including children with special needs. The program gives team members equal opportunities to play. Teams are coed and are available for players age 4-18. Parents coach.
Early registration is under way through Aug. 1 and costs $80 online and $90 by phone. Prices will go up in $5 increments Aug. 2, Sept. 8 and Sept. 22, which is the deadline for registration.
Team members can expect to hear from their coaches by Oct. 5. The season will run from Oct. 9 through Dec. 4.
The Pearland league holds games and practices at Lawhon Elementary School, 5810 Brookside Road.
Details: www.ffps.org.
• i9 Sports focuses on promoting fun and good sportsmanship in a safe environment. The Pearland league offers basketball, soccer, flag football and cheerleading for participants ages 4-14. Special-needs players are welcome.
Teams are coed and organized by age, and players are rotated to each position.
New this year is soccer for 3-year-olds. The soccer league will play Sept. 11 through Oct. 30 with a Nov. 6 make-up date.
The 3-year-olds, who will have 30-minute practices before games, will play three-on-three with no score keeping or referee.
The older players practice one hour before the games.
The eight-week fall flag football season will run Sept. 11 through Nov. 6.
Registration for soccer and flag football is available through Aug. 25 and then goes on a space-available basis. Fees start at $125, and sibling discounts are available.
Games are held at Challenger Elementary School, 9434 Hughes Ranch Road.
Details: www.i9sports.com/HomePage.aspx?franchise=157.
• Pearland Area Dad's Club hosts the Pearland Girl's Softball Association, Pearland Little League Baseball, Pearland Patriots Little League Football and Patriettes cheerleading.
Pearland Girl's Softball Association offers fall and spring fastpitch leagues, president Norman Sandwell said. I would say the fall league is instructional, and the spring league is more competitive," he said. We do focus on learning the fundamentals of the game and good sportsmanship."
The league's 6-and-under league has won the Amateur Softball Association's Interstate Championship for five of the last six years, Sandwell said, and the 8-and-under league has won four consecutive state championships.
In addition, the association's 10-and-under select league won at the national level in 2009 and the ASA state championship in 2010. The 14-and-under select team won the United States Fastpitch Association state championship this year.
The league is open to girls ages 4-14. Online registration will be available Aug. 1-22, and the fall season will begin Sept. 18. Fall ball tournaments will take place Nov. 12-13.
Participation costs $55 for returning players and $100 for new ones. Games are held at the Pearland Dad's Club and at Centennial Park with practices taking place at several Pearland Independent School District campuses.
Details: www.pearlandsoftball.org.
Pearland Little League, a Texas East State Little League endeavor, is primarily an instructional program. Participation costs $95 per child.
The league offers Fall Ball for players ages 5-12 from September through November. Divisions include peewee, machine pitch, instructional T-ball, T-ball, minors and majors.
Online registration is available through Aug. 9.
Details: www.eteamz.com/pearland.
As for other programs offered through the Dad's Club, the Pearland Patriots football program still has openings for senior boys, ages 10-13. The season runs Aug. 14 through Oct. 16. To begin registration, send a message to pearlandpatriots@yahoo.com
Details: www.pearlandpatriotsandpatriettes.shutterfly.com.
The Dad's Club complex is at 5522 Fite Road.
• Pearland Hurricanes, another Bay Area Football League program, still has openings for boys, 10-13.
Its girls' football team, the Twisters, has opens for girls ages 5-13. The league also has mascots, ages 5-6, and a drill team for ages 7 and up.
Practices are held across from Shadycrest Elementary School, 2405 Shadybend, 6:30-8 p.m. Mondays-Fridays.
Details: www.pearlandhurricanes.org.
• The Pearland Youth Football Association offers flag football, tackle football and a cheerleading program for children ages 5-12. The organization strives to teach players teamwork and discipline, while promoting a love for sports.
The program, which is affiliated with the Gulf Coast Premier Football League, still has openings in its 9-year-old division.
Practices will be held at the Veterans Road Sports Complex off Bailey and Veterans Road.
Details: www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?url=pearlandyfa or e-mail pearlandyfa@yahoo.com.
• Pearland Youth Football League, an affiliate of the South Texas Youth Football Association, offers flag football for ages 5-6 and tackle football for ages 7-12.
Registration is closed for this season. Details: www.pflfootball.org.
• Pearland Parks and Recreation's coed flag football program for ages 6-12 is offered for the fall. All players must be the required age by Sept. 1.
Registration will continue through Aug. 13. The cost is $70 for residents and $100 for others.
The fall season will run Aug. 30-Oct. 20. Locations will be announced.
The city's youth sports are somewhere in the middle between recreational and competitive. Each player receives a trophy at the end of the season, and one team from each age group will receive an award that recognizes sportsmanship, teamwork, attitude and respect.
Details: www.pearlandparks.com
• Pearland United Soccer Club offers recreational and competitive playing opportunities. The program is designed to provide overall personal development for players in soccer skills, sportsmanship, teamwork and physical and mental readiness.
Late registration began July 16.
Levels of play include Division IV, which is recreational soccer for players 4-9, along with several divisions for players 10 and up.
Division I is the most competitive level, and players must earn their positions during tryouts. Training is demanding and year-round.
Division II comprises two competitive teams: Blue and Super Blue or S2. Blue is for players who aspire to be on a Division I team and for those who want competitive play without the time commitment of Division I play.
S2 is intended to provide a transition between Division II and Division I play.
Both Division I and S2 teams have a commitment to traveling. Blue teams play home games in Pearland, but travel to away games within the Bay Area Youth Soccer Association.
Recreational teams or Division III teams do not require tryouts.
The club also offers TOPSoccer for physically and mentally challenged players.
The club's fall season, beginning in mid-September, includes playoffs.
Prices begin at $100 for the under-5 and under-6 teams, and range from $660 to $792 for the teams for players age 10 and older.
Players also get opportunities to attend Dynamos games and - in some cases to appear on the Dynamos' field.
Details: www.pearlandunited.com.
• Upward Basketball League offers basketball and cheerleading. The program starts with a developmental league focused on instruction for 4-year-olds and serves students through the sixth grade.
Fees are $75 until Oct. 25, then $85 through the final day of registration, Oct. 28. The cost for 4-year-olds is $65, and the Challenger League for players with special needs costs $50. Optional team shorts cost $15 in each program. Scholarships are available.
Practices will begin Jan 2, and games will continue for eight weekends until Feb. 27, when the league hosts an awards night.
All participants will be required to attend one basketball evaluation or cheerleading orientation.
Upward is a Christian basketball league that operates from First United Methodist Church, Pearland, 2314 Grand Blvd. The league hosts devotionals during halftime.
Details: www.upward.org.
• The Vic Coppinger Family YMCA, 2700 YMCA Drive in Pearland, offers children's and teen sports throughout the year. These teams are somewhat competitive, but do accept beginners.
Participation costs $50 for facility members and $100 for program members, plus a late fee for registration after Aug. 22.
Fall sports include baseball, T-ball, (ages 5-14), baseball (5-14), soccer (5-14) and volleyball (8-14).
Registration began June 12; a late fee will be charged Aug. 2-28.
Practice begins the week of Aug. 30 with weekly games taking place Sept. 18 through Nov. 6.
The YMCA welcomes special-needs players and offers financial assistance.
Details: www.ymcahouston.org/vic-coppinger/.