Sweet Sportstown Alabama

Small -- but dedicated -- Heflin proves it can play with Alabama's big cities

At first blush, it might seem unlikely that the Sports Illustrated Sportstown for the state of Alabama would be a burgh other than Tuscaloosa or Auburn. But another city has beaten out those hotbeds of college sports (as well as the state's larger urban centers like Birmingham and Montgomery) to take the honor. That city is Heflin, population 3,002.

Located almost exactly in between Birmingham and Atlanta, just off Interstate 20, Heflin’s size belies the stature of its sports and recreation offerings, as its Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) has proven to be first class. The Heflin PARD, which actually serves a larger population of almost 6,500 in Cleburne County, has put together a comprehensive sports and recreation program to serve all of its citizens.

That starts with the kids. Like elsewhere in Alabama, football is king in Heflin. Competitive youth tackle football leagues start at the 6-year-old level. And while other youth sports like baseball, softball and basketball may draw more participants, football garners the most attention. It's not unusual for 1,000 spectators to turn out for a youth football game.

“In a close-knit city like Heflin, the community support of our programs is tremendous,” said Department Director Tammy Perry, who joined the PARD seven years ago, as its second full-time employee. “Thanks to a supportive mayor and city council, we’ve really been able to grow our program, and our residents have responded very positively to it.”

In the time that she has been involved, the Heflin PARD staff has grown to its current size of five full-timers, eight part-timers and 250-300 volunteers, Perry said. The larger staff has allowed for more structure, more education and training for the city’s coaches, and more activities.

Some of those activities are also made possible by the city’s new recreation center, which the PARD opened in August 2002. The facility has been a boon to the community.

“The rec center has brought the seniors in and given them a place to go for recreation and physical activity,” said Perry, who herself teaches a seniors’ fitness class twice a week. “It has really been a great addition to our area and provided programs for all age groups.”

In addition to its youth and senior programs, Heflin’s PARD organizes adult sport programs in softball, volleyball and, of course, flag football. Recently, the Department has also organized several large-scale events like a statewide baseball tournament for 14-year-olds and an Outdoor Jamboree concert and festival, which drew more than 7,500 people -– impressive feats for a department of its size.

Perry puts it all in perspective: “With our staff, volunteers, community and government support, we do the same things that bigger towns do, just on a smaller level.”

That can-do attitude has earned Heflin, which calls itself "The Gateway to the Appalachians," a new nickname: "Sports Illustrated Sportstown."