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PAL football leagues introducing changes as well as gearing up

The Police Athletic League's flag and tackle football leagues are gearing up for another season while also introducing new changes to the leagues.

Among the biggest differences between this season and that of last year is the inclusion of 5-year-olds, cheerleading and live game announcing during tackle football games.

"We've had a lot of people ask if 5-year-olds could play," says Tom Hughes, a member of the Huntington Police Department who has helped organize the football program.

The 5-year-olds will be paired with 6-year-olds to create their own flag football league. Boys ages 7 and 8 will also play flag football in their own league.

The last two age groups, 9 and 10-years-old and 11 and 12-years-old, will play tackle football in their respective divisions. These groups are the beneficiaries of the live game announcing.

"We've done announcing some of the time," Hughes says. "But this season, we plan on doing it as many games as possible."

As for the cheerleading aspect, the PAL has teamed up with the Parkview Huntington YMCA to offer cheerleading during football games.

Tim Allen, director of marketing and development for the local Y, said the football cheerleading with the PAL is based on the same cheerleading program the Y hosts during its Kim League basketball in the winter.

"Cheerleading will be coached ... by former Huntington North High School cheerleaders, the same ones that have done past years," Allen says.

The girls who choose to cheerlead will cheer only one game per week, with practice also one day per week. Allen says the Y will develop a discount for those girls who cheer for the PAL and for Kim League.

While cheerleading will begin near the end of August, with registration not available until Aug. 9, PAL football registration has already been going on, and a mandatory weigh-in and equipment pick-up for tackle football will take place on Saturday, Aug. 14, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the PAL.

To learn more about PAL football, or to register, visit www.huntingtonpal.net/Football.aspx, or call 356-9272.

For more information about cheerleading, call the Y at 359-9622. Allen says the front desk will have registration information, but any questions the front desk cannot answer should be directed to him.