By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Monday has been designated the final day to sign up for youth baseball or softball, but the registration process will continue past that date.
It's just going to cost a little more for for your child to play if you wait past today.
Through Monday, the youth baseball and softball fees are $15 for each child living in the Forrest City city limits and $25 for each child outside the city limits.
The week-long, late registration period begins on Tuesday, March 16. Each fee increases by $5 during the late sign-up period becoming $20 and $30.
On Monday, the Forrest City Recreation office, located inside City Hall, will remain open until 5:30 p.m., to accommodate those who may want to try and avoid the late sign-ups.
Recreation Director Kenneth Taylor said each of the youth softball and baseball age divisions will remain the same this season.
"There aren't any changes to any of the leagues right now," Taylor said.
Registration continues as well for the 2004 adult men's and women's slow-pitch softball leagues.
The women's league has three teams and is in need of at least one more, according to Taylor. Girls, 18 and older, will be eligible to play in the adult women's league.
Taylor said the men's league has 10 teams registered so far and that a few more teams may be added.
One of the major changes to the men's slow-pitch league this season will be allowing base runners to steal bases. The ASA has adopted the new rule and Taylor figures the new rule will be implemented into league play this summer.
Runners will be able to steal bases after the pitch crosses home plate.
Taylor also said the youth league numbers are lagging a little, but he expects those numbers to rise over the final few days of registration.
"It always does," Taylor said. "There are some people who just wait until the end to sign up their kids."
Taylor also said that this season, all of the league umpires will have to be either ASA or Junior babe Ruth certified.
The Sports Complex will host the 13-year-Old Junior Babe Ruth state tournament this summer and Taylor said other tournaments will be added to the schedule.
All youth leagues and adult leagues will begin play the first week in May. For more information about either of the leagues, call Taylor at 633-3667.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Clark McBride is trying to settle into his role as new head coach of the Mustang track team.
McBride, however, is quick to tell you that he was a baseball player in high school -- not a track athlete.
"To tell you the truth, I was honorable mention on the All-State baseball team in high school I and played in the All-Star Baseball game," McBride said.
McBride returned to Forrest City last year after spending four seasons as the assistant track coach at Osceola and one year as the head track coach at Hoxie.
Track is still a learning experience for McBride, and it will take a while before he is able to say that he is completely comfortable in the role as head track coach.
"We had some good athletes in Osceola and the senior boys won the conference title twice while I was there," McBride said. "I learned a lot from Osceola coach Jimmy Hawkins, who is coaching the girls track team and from former Forrest City coach Clinton Gore."
When McBride decided to come back to Forrest City last summer, he agreed to return as an assistant coach with the senior high Mustang football team and as head track coach -- replacing Jeff Hudson, who took a similar coaching position at Paragould.
The Mustangs are set to open the 2004 season on March 30, at the Patriot Relays in Marion. Before that, the team will take part in a March 18 practice meet at Cabot.
Last year, the Mustangs finished fourth at Marion, fifth at Osceola, sixth at the Eagle Relays (Greene County Tech) and ninth at the Paul Hoffman Relays in Jonesboro.
The Mustangs have been practicing for about three weeks.
"The first two weeks were just about conditioning," McBride said. "The throwers are working on their specialties in the discus and the shot."
McBride has about 20 kids with Justin Jones back as a senior and a couple of good sophomore prospects including last year's freshman sensation Eric Walker.
Walker will be used plenty by McBride, being seen in as many as six events and could even be a decathlon prospect this season.
Kenneth Jordan, who ran AAU Track with Walker last summer, is also looking good in practice.
McBride said about 60 percent of the make up of the senior high track team will be sophomores this year.
Forrest City track has always been known for its relay teams and McBride hopes this season will produce more of the same.
"I sure hope we can keep up that tradition with relays," McBride said. "We have the athletes and we have some returning experience in that area."
McBride will be assisted this season by Ryan Wallace, John Burgess and Sonny Shields.
Shields is working with the throwers, Burgess with the hurdlers and Wallace with the sprinters while McBride will work with the distance runners.
Distance runners include Josh Freeman and his cousin, Charles Freeman.
Sophomore Richard Flenory, whose efforts in the field events, helped lead the Junior Mustangs to the conference title last year, will anchor the Mustang field events and will get help from Jeffery Sims in the discus and Jeremy Homes.
"Flenory is so strong and he will help us this year," McBride said.
The Mustangs will compete in six meets this season even though McBride said finding track meets is becoming a much more difficult process.
"It's not just Forrest City having a problem finding meets, it seems to be a problem almost everywhere," McBride said. "I've talked to a lot of other track coaches and they all say the same thing."
The Mustangs will run in season meets at Marion, Green County Tech, Jonesboro, Cabot and hopefully West Memphis, provided the school can get their track resurfaced and completed.
The March 18 practice meet at Cabot is the only practice meet the Mustangs will go to.*
"The kids have been working hard in practice and they have done everything we have asked them to do," McBride said. "That is a good sign. The effort seems to be there."