Cary Receives 2016 Excellence in Youth Sports Award

The Town of Cary, North Carolina, has received the Excellence in Youth Sports Award from the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS); the Town received the Award in recognition of its commitment to provide excellence in youth sport. Cary’s youth team sports offerings include baseball, softball, basketball, and volleyball.  Boys and girls ages 5-18 are eligible to participate in all team sports regardless of experience or skills.  The Town offers opportunities in traditional sports such as tennis, volleyball, golf, basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer camps as well as less traditional sports such as disc golf, skateboarding and BMX.

“The Town’s youth sports philosophy encourages positive sportsmanship, skill development, participation and fun. Our programs provide a competitive recreation opportunity that promotes fitness and well-being through team and individual play,” said Doug McRainey, “An important piece of our youth sports programming is our guarantee that each child receives comparable playing time.”

In 2016, the Town served over 4,500 program participants on 397 different teams, each run by a NAYS certified coach. The Town held over 8,000 youth sports games/practices, and volunteers provided more than 50,000 hours to its youth sports league participants.

• The Town’s youth sports program philosophy encourages and promotes Learning to play for the purpose of enjoying participation,

• Providing equal opportunity for play,

• Actively expanding the individual’s social ability to demonstrate fair play, and

• Gaining expertise to expand the individual participant’s potential through practice and play.

About National Association of Youth Sports: NAYS is a non-profit organization that promotes the value and importance of sports and physical activity in the emotional, physical, social and mental development of children. The National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) is America's leading advocate for positive and safe sports for children.

About the Excellence in Youth Sports Award: For more than a decade, the Excellence in Youth Sports Awards has recognized programs that are doing superior jobs of conducting diverse activities with a focus on providing safe and positive experiences for all participants. Each year hundreds of youth sports programs across the country and military bases worldwide vie to be an award winner.

In 2016, the Town also received the 2016 Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management from the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association. The Gold Medal Award program honors communities that demonstrate excellence in parks and recreation through long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development, professional development and agency recognition.

For details, search “Sports” at www.townofcary.org or call (919)469-4061. And for more fun in Cary, follow the Town on Twitter @TOC_Fun and check out the Meetings & Events Calendar at www.townofcary.org