The Albert Lea Parks and Recreation Department is now taking registrations for the Youth First fall sports season.

The Youth First program is a collaborative effort between the City of Albert Lea, School District 241 and Community Education to offer sport and recreational opportunities to seventh- and eighth-graders within the Albert Lea School District.

Boys and girls who are currently enrolled in seventh- or eighth-grade may register for one of the following sports: football, girls’ tennis, volleyball and cross country. Practices are held Monday through Thursday, immediately after school, and generally run until 5 p.m. Football will begin practicing on Monday, Aug. 29, 2:30 p.m. at Southwest Middle School and all other sports will begin practices on Wednesday, Sept. 7.

Games or contests are usually held right after school and do require some traveling.

Registrations for the Youth First Athletic program will be taken at the Parks and Recreation office, located at the City Arena. Registration is also available online at the city’s website www.cityofalbertlea.org via the Park and Rec tab.

The fee for Youth First Sports is $65. Participants must have a current physical on file with the high school athletic office or obtain one before participating in any sport. Those forms are available at the Parks and Recreation office and can be picked up at the time of registration. Registration deadline is Sept. 2. Please note that due to gym space, playing time and availability of coaches, we only accept registrations after that date if there is room on the teams.

For more information, contact the Parks and Recreation office at 377-4370.