Sports and Recreation

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Select a sport:

Football and spirit squads
Baseball and softball
Basketball
Soccer
Hockey
Parks and recreation
Other sports

Children's programs for baseball, football, soccer, basketball, and most other sports can be found throughout Massachusetts. Some of these programs are part of national organizations like Little League Baseball or Pop Warner Football. Other programs are local, offered by community centers, churches and temples, schools, or town recreation departments. Most offer scholarships for those who cannot afford the usual registration fee.

 Links to organization web sites will open in a new window. Click the "X" in the upper right-hand corner to close the new window and return to MassResources.org.
 

Football and spirit squads

American Youth Football and Cheer

American Youth Football and Cheer is an international organization that promotes youth football and cheerleading for children and teens. Communities that join AYF/AYC usually offer flag football, tackle football, and cheer squads for ages 7 to 14. Local leagues make their own rules within AYF/AYC guidelines.

To protect the safety of the participants and to make the competitions fair, children of similar ages and weights are assigned to teams and squads. There are special provisions for football players whose weight is lower than average for their age group (older/lighter). All programs teach basic skills, fitness, and conditioning, and encourage good sportsmanship, respect, and academic excellence. AYF is a national partner of the National Football League.

The fee for AYF/AYC programs is set by the local organizations. The fee usually covers uniforms and equipment, transportation, insurance, referees, and field fees.

• For more information: American Youth Football & Cheer
• To find an AYF/AYC league near you: AYF Team/League/Conference Search and Locate
   

Pop Warner Football and Spirit programs

Pop Warner offers tackle football, flag football, traditional spirit squads (football season), and year-round spirit squads in communities throughout Massachusetts. Tackle football is for children ages 7 to 16, and flag football for children 5 to 16, grouped by age and size to reduce injuries. The Spirit Program (cheerleading and dance) is open to children and teens age 7 to 15. All programs are open to both boys and girls of all abilities.

Students who want to take part in Pop Warner programs must show that they are doing satisfactory work in school. In general, they must have an average of 70% or better, or get a letter from their school.

• For more information about Pop Warner: Pop Warner Home
• To find a Pop Warner league near you: Massachusetts conferences and teams
   

NFL Youth Football

NFL Youth Football helps local organizations host punt, pass, and kick (PPK) competitions in the summer and fall. These competitions are free of charge and open to boys and girls ages 8 to 15. NFL Youth Football also helps organize flag football leagues for boys and girls ages 6 to 14. There are two seasons per year, spring and fall.

• To find a PPK competition in your neighborhood: NFL PPK - Find a Competition by zip
• To find an NFL Flag Football league in your neighborhood: Find a League - Massachusetts
   

Other football leagues

You can search for other youth football leagues/teams in your community on eteamz.com. Eteamz.com is a national network of web sites used by many local sports teams and programs.

• To search on eteamz for football: Massachusetts Football Sites

Baseball and Softball

Little League Baseball and Softball

Little League is a non-profit organization with baseball and softball leagues for children and teens ages 5 to 18, though most Little Leagues stop at age 12. All children are welcome, regardless of ability level. No child is turned away because of inability to pay. The emphasis of the League is on teamwork, physical fitness, discipline, and friendly competition among local teams. The League is divided into local territories, and players must join their local team.

• To find a league in your community: Team/League/District Finder

  or you may contact the Eastern Region representative:

• Little League Eastern Region Headquarters
  P.O. Box 2926
  Bristol, CT 06011-2926
  
  Phone: 860-585-4730
  Fax: 860-585-4734
   

Babe Ruth League

Babe Ruth League has baseball and softball divisions for boys and girls ages 5 to 18, though most Babe Ruth leagues start at age 13. Teams are organized at the community level with an emphasis on sportsmanship, fair play, skills development, and fun. Some communities offer prep leagues for players moving up from one age division to the next.

• To find a Babe Ruth League in your area: Online Information Request form
   

Other baseball leagues

You can search for other youth baseball and softball leagues/teams in your community on eteamz.com. Eteamz.com is a national network of web sites used by many local sports teams and programs.

• To search on eteamz for baseball: Massachusetts Baseball Sites

• To search on eteamz for softball:

  • Massachusetts Fastpitch Sites
  • Massachusetts Slowpitch Sites

Youth baseball may also be offered by youth and community organizations and city parks and recreation departments in your area.

Basketball

Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA

The Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA are recreational youth basketball leagues run by local neighborhood centers, town recreation departments, and other youth groups with support from NBA sponsors. These are winter season leagues open to boys and girls ages 5 to 14. The emphasis is on skills development, teamwork, and sportsmanship.

• To find a league in your area: Massachusetts JrNBA/JrWNBA League Finder
• For more information: Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA
   

Other basketball leagues

Youth basketball leagues are often run by churches, town recreation departments, and by local YMCAs, Boys & Girls Clubs, and other community centers. If you want to find a league, call any one of these organizations. Even if they do not sponsor a league, they will probably be able to refer you to an organization that does.

You can also search for other youth basketball leagues/teams in your community on eteamz.com. Eteamz.com is a national network of web sites used by many local sports teams and programs.

• To search on eteamz for basketball: Massachusetts Basketball Sites

Soccer

Mass Youth Soccer

Massachusetts Youth Soccer is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting youth soccer throughout Massachusetts. Mass Youth Soccer has leagues for boys and girls ages 5 through 19 and for all player ability levels - recreational, travel, and premier.

• To find a soccer league in your area: Find Soccer Near You
• For more information about Mass Youth Soccer: Mass Youth Soccer Association

Hockey

Massachusetts Youth Hockey

Massachusetts Youth Hockey is a non-profit volunteer group that organizes travel and house youth hockey teams, select teams, instructional programs, and hockey camps and clinics throughout Massachusetts. These activities are open to boys and girls ages 4 through 18. The emphasis is on hockey skating and skills development, good sportsmanship, self-discipline, and teamwork. There are fees for these programs, depending on the amount of ice time, and players must have proper equipment.

Massachusetts is divided into 10 youth hockey districts. To find a youth hockey association in your area, click on your district:

• District 1 - Suffolk County
• District 2 - Essex County
• District 3 - Norfolk County
• District 4 - Plymouth County
• District 5 - Bristol & Barnstable Counties
• District 6 - Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden & Berkshire Counties
• District 7 - Worcester County
• District 8 - 1st Middlesex County
• District 9 - 2nd Middlesex County
• District 10 - 3rd Middlesex County

• For more information about Massachusetts Youth Hockey: Massachusetts Hockey On-Line

Parks and recreation

State forests and parks

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is in charge of the many state forests and parks in the state. These forests and parks offer a wide range of recreation activities for children and teens, including swimming, boating, camping, fishing, biking, skiing, skating, hiking, rock climbing, and golfing. Most state forests and parks have playgrounds, picnic facilities, and walking trails. Some have athletic fields, tennis courts, summer concerts, and educational programs.

• To find a state forest or park near you: DCR Parks in Massachusetts
   

City parks and recreation departments

City parks and recreation departments offer a wide range of activities for children and teens throughout the year. These include preschool, after-school, vacation , and summer activities for all ages. Different towns offer different programs, but most offer some or all of the following: swimming, skating, skiing, youth sports, fitness classes, tennis, golf, playground, skatepark, and summer recreation activities.

• To see what is offered in your community, visit your city or town's web site:
  Massachusetts Communities
  
  Click on the name of your city or town, then find the link for your city or town's official Home Page. On the Home Page, look for "Departments - Recreation and Parks" (or something similar) to find out about recreation programs offered by your city or town.

Other sports programs and leagues

To find other youth sports programs in your community, you can search on Eteamz or on Google Local:

• Eteamz
  Eteamz is a national network of web sites used by many local sports teams and programs.

• Google Local
  Enter the type of activity you are looking for, and your city and state. Google Local will return a list of organizations and businesses that offer that activity in your area.