The Henderson Vance Recreation and Parks Department has a couple of registrations underway for youth interested in cheerleading and basketball and Director Kendrick Vann said those programs, along with many others, go a long way to encourage young people as they grow, hone their abilities and make new friends.
Vann said parents can register online via FaceBook or Instagram or in person at Aycock Rec Center. There are QR codes on all the printed flyers to make the registration process easy, he said on Thursday’s segment of The Local Skinny!
The 2024 Winter Cheerleading registration is underway now through Sunday, Nov. 24. Registration fee is $40. The program is for young people ages 4-12.
And the preseason basketball camp will be held on Saturdays beginning on Saturday, Nov. 16 and continuing on Nov. 30 and Dec. 7.
The basketball camp is free for youth between the ages of 7 and 12 as of Jan. 1, 2025, but participants must be registered in the 2024 league. The camp will take place at Aycock Rec Center, 305 Carey Chapel Rd., Henderson.
For some youth, this may be their first experience with organized programs, and Vann said coaches and staff do a great job of including all participants.
“We will find a place for everybody to participate in this program, regardless of ability,” he said.
The cheerleading program will practice at Aycock Rec Center and will have a chance to perform for games during the week and on Saturday.
The basketball camp will hold three sessions, all of which take place before the season begins in early January.
The camp will go over “all the skills and drills,” Vann said, giving the players a chance to be in a structured environment before getting placed on a team. Javis Harvey is a new rec program supervisor and played D-1 ball at East Tennessee State University. Harvey will help with the camp and the volunteer coaches.
“The department is doing a great job of balancing out the teams through the draft process,’ Vann continued. Another new staff member, Joshua Jones, is a program specialist and Vann said he’s happy with the strength of the department’s staff these days.
In just a few weeks, Vann will celebrate 10 years as HVRPD director, and he said he is proud of the work he and staff do for the community’s youth.
“Everything’s coming together,” he said, of collaborations with high school athletic departments and other community partners. “I truly love the progress we’re making right now.”
Chances are, middle- and high school sports teams are peppered with players who got their start with a rec league team, which Vann said gets young people “prepared not only for sports, but for life.”
The increased confidence and friendships that are developed in rec league programs are important, he said. “It’s our top priority.”
Contact Recreation and Parks Director Kendrick Vann at kendrickvann@henderson.nc.gov
or call 252.431.6093.
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