RECREATION
From the soccer pitches and baseball diamonds to the dusty softball diamonds at Key City Park, Warren County has a vibrant sports scene year round for both children and adults:
�Key City Park is an athletic facility that hosts baseball and softball leagues, tournaments and a wide range of other local sports and events. The park also includes other family-friendly amenities and activities such as walking trails and a miniture golf course.
�The Vicksburg Soccer Organization( vsosoccer. org) has seasons in the fall and spring for children ages 6-18. Its competitive Cannon program serves as a feeder program for the local high schools and also plays in a number of tournaments around the state and region. The VSO plays games and practices at Sports Force Parks on the Mississippi.
�The Vicksburg Warren Athletic Association( sports. bluesombrero. com / vwaabaseball) fields both traditional youth baseball leagues and competitive travel teams. About 200 children ranging in age from 5 to 15 play in the VWAA’ s leagues, which run from April to June at Sports Force Parks on the Mississippi.
�Halls Ferry Park is home to the Vicksburg Girls Softball Association. The league formed in the mid- 1990s and now has more than 200 players ages 4-16. The association also offers t-ball for boys and girls ages 4-6. The VGSA season runs from March to the end of May, and tournaments are played throughout the year.
Halls Ferry Park is also home to a disc golf course that winds through the paths and fields of the park. It is an 18-hole course with double baskets. It also has new pickleball courts and all courts are first come, first serve. For more information, call 601-218-9501.
�The City of Vicksburg Parks and Recreation Department sponsors a youth tennis program at the Halls Ferry Park courts. The program includes a daily summer tennis camp as well as fall and spring sessions. The program director is Rick Shields, who can be reached at 601-618-4757. The Halls Ferry Park facility was expanded to include nearly a dozen lighted courts and is open to the public daily. In addition to the youth program, the facility hosts several adult tournaments throughout the year.
The City of Vicksburg’ s Parks and Recreation Department offers a number of softball and basketball leagues for adults. Co-ed and church leagues have spring, summer and fall seasons. For more information, call Roosevelt Brown at 601-634-4514.
�Vicksburg is home to a vibrant running, walking and cycling community. A number of loose-knit groups often gather for runs through the Vicksburg Military Park in the late afternoon and early evening hours. More formally, the city is host to several running and walking races throughout the year. The Run Thru History 10K( runthruhistory. org) kicks off in March and the Key City Classic 10k run and 5k run and walk( gracechristiancounselingcenter. com) is in April. The summer features the Star Spangled Night Run 5K in June( southernculture. org / events / night-run. htm), and the schedule picks up in the fall with a string of races. The Over the River Run 5-miler is in October, where runners and walkers race across the Old Mississippi River Bridge and back( southernculture. org / events / otrr. htm). Then the Spooky Sprint 5K, a lighthearted run through downtown Vicksburg in late October, is held where participants are invited to run in Halloween costumes. The running year concludes with the Reindeer Run 5k, a run downtown that benefits local animal shelters.
�Clear Creek Golf Course in Bovina( 601-638- 9395) and the Vicksburg Country Club( 601-636- 8581) offer youth golf lessons and tournaments throughout the year. Contact Clear Creek at 601-638- 9395, or VCC at 601-636-8581, for more information. �The Vicksburg Swim Association( vsaswim. org) has about 90 members ages 5-18, and competes in meets on a state and local level. The program is geared to swimmers of all ages and skill levels and practices year-round at City Pool, Wyatt’ s Gym and the Vicksburg YMCA.
�City Pool also hosts low-cost youth swim lessons during the summer, and is open for daily recreational and lap swimming for children and adults from May through September. For information on City Pool and its programs, call Sylvia Gurtowski at 601-636-4516.
�The Vicksburg YMCA( vicksburgymca. com) offers a host of youth sports programs including flag and tackle football; basketball; teeball; cheerleading; swim lessons and camping, in addition to a number of adult workout facilities.
�The Vicksburg Packers and Warren County Ravens youth football teams compete in the statewide Premiere Sports Association. Both teams play tackle football, and have three age divisions— 7-8-, 9-10- and 11-12-year-olds. There’ s also a cheerleading team for girls in each age group. Registration for the Packers runs from March through mid-August, and the season goes from September through December. For more information on the Packers football team, call coach Robert Jones at 601-
291-1371. For information on the cheerleading squad, call coach Stephanie Williams at 601-415-5918.
�The Sandlot of Vicksburg is a baseball and softball training facility that offers classes, camps and private lessons for players of all ages. Instructors include former Major League Baseball player Roosevelt Brown, and several former college players and local high school coaches. The facility is located at 3422 Wisconsin Ave. Visit vicksburgsandlot. com or email info @ vburgsandlot. com for information on classes and lessons.
�River City Tumble and Cheer is a youth cheerleading program, and has classes for beginners as well as an advanced competitive program. The organization has a gym at 500 Depot St. For class schedules and information, visit gomotionapp. com / team / rctc / page / home or call Jessica Henderson at 765-714-8349.
�Hype Athletics, located at 4000 South Frontage Rd., Ste. 108, offers tumble and cheer classes. For schedules, and other information, call 601-317-8399 or visit them on Facebook.
A GEM FOR CANOEING AND KAYAKING
Vicksburg’ s location along the Mississippi River is one of the many attributes that make it unique. The river allows for a beautiful sunrise and sunset, picturesque scenery and access for kayaking and canoeing.
A number of Warren County residents engage in family-friendly water activities.
The city provides easy access to rivers and lakes to explore. Eagle Lake, Steele Bayou and the Yazoo River, in addition to the Mississippi River, provide an escape for healthy activity on the water.
As long as someone has strong boating knowledge and wears a life jacket there should be no problem venturing into Warren County’ s waterways.
HUNTING, FISHING MADE EASY
Vicksburg’ s location and proximity to woods, lakes and rivers offer a wide variety of hunting and fishing
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