Naperville Park District offering flag football

Naperville Park District will partner with the NFL this fall to offer a flag football league for boys and girls ages 6-13.

Similar to the youth soccer program, the new league will give kids an opportunity to enjoy learning the sport in a fun setting and to benefit from positive coaching aimed at helping every child succeed.

The season begins Aug. 20 and registration is under way at www.napervilleparks.org/flagfootball.

All games will be played on Friday nights or Sundays in Naperville, with practices scheduled on weekdays between 4 and 7 p.m. Parent volunteer coaches are needed.

"We're excited to be able to offer Naperville youth an alternative to tackle football," program manager Brock Atwell said. "This league will teach kids the fundamentals of football without tackling and blocking."

In addition, he said, "kids will get to play some of the games under the lights on the one of the park district's synthetic turf fields. We feel they will really enjoy that experience."

Flag football is one of several emerging sports offered by the district, including lacrosse, field hockey, Ultimate Frisbee and Futsal.

The sports give students more opportunities to get involved with sports and enjoy the health benefits of physical activity and the social experience of being part of a team.