The Williamson County Parks and Recreation Department’s Athletics Division will begin registration for the Franklin Youth Basketball Leagues on September 24. Registration will end October 22.

Participants will have the opportunity to experience all-county play while improving skills, sportsmanship and building relationships with players in other communities.

Players are required to be 5 to 17 years old as of December 31, 2011 and must provide a copy of their birth certificate. On-site registration will be held at the Academy Park Gym, 120 Everbright St., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays, September 24, October 1, October 8 and October 22; as well as, Friday, October 21, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Mail-in registration forms will be available at www.wcprathletics.org. The league fee of $55 per player (check payable to WCPR) and a uniform fee (check payable to Goalpost) are due at registration. Details on the league draft dates will be provided.

Practices will be held at Franklin area schools beginning in November, while games will be played at Academy Park Gym, the Franklin Recreation Complex at 1120 Hillsboro Road and other county locations. The season will run from December 3 - February 11.

Help is also needed in the areas of head coaches, assistant coaches, officials and supervisors. For more information about the youth basketball league, contact Amber Hilliard at (615) 370-3471, ext. 17 or email . Contact information for other youth basketball associations in the county may be found on the community links page at www.wcprathletics.org.

Williamson County Parks and Recreation is a public organization, here to benefit the community. Anyone may register for and participate in the department’s programs, teams, classes and events. For more information about the facilities and programs of the Williamson County Parks and Recreation Department, visit www.wcparksandrec.com, or call (615) 790-5719, ext. 10. You may also receive department information by “liking” Williamson County Parks and Recreation on Facebook.

Tennessee's high school sports organization is making sure student athletes are safe during the current heat wave across the state that is bringing dangerous heat index values.

Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletics Association Executive Director Bernard Childress sent messages to all member schools today reminding school officials and coaches of the TSSAA's policy on heat precautions.

Childress message read:

With the extreme heat and projected heat index the next few days, we want to remind you to inform all coaches that the TSSAA Heat Index Policy applies anytime student-athletes are participating in a school supervised activity. Coaches must have a digital psychrometer or another means to check the heat index onsite. Proper modifications must be made based on the policy which can be found on our website at www.tssaa.org.

Regardless of what the activity is, all outdoor activity must be completely shut down if the heat index onsite is 105º or greater. Indoor workouts must stop if air conditioning is not available and the heat index indoors is 105º or greater. The index must be checked every 30 minutes

If you have any questions concerning this, please feel free to contact our office.