ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB) – Youth football teams competed for a $500 cash prize during the first-ever Cenla New Year’s Classic this weekend.
Event organizer Kelvin Franklin brought together 8-U, 10-U and 12-U football teams for the tournament at Peabody High School.
“This is truly a high competitive environment and it’s all what this area needs. It starts with the youth. It starts with the youth all the way,” Franklin said.
Franklin said the tournament addressed a need in Central Louisiana.
“I had to make it happen. I wanted to make it happen. We’ve never had a tournament here at all, ever,” Franklin said. “Places in Texas and Georgia, Florida, California, stuff like that, they get to do these type of things and it’s big. Why can’t we do it right here.”
Franklin said he used his platform in youth sports to create the showcase for local athletes.
“It kind of brings a tear to my eyes a little bit, you know, because the support of the city and the support of other people around me and my great crew, great staff, and also Peabody for letting me host this here,” Franklin said.
Local teams competed throughout the weekend, giving young athletes a chance to showcase their skills close to home. Franklin said youth sports teaches lessons beyond the scoreboard.
“It’s great to start them at a young age, you know, because you want to build,” Franklin said. “Football brings great welders, great teachers, great janitors, great everybody. Football just builds everybody even when you’re not playing in college or the NFL as well.”
Franklin plans to make the tournament an annual tradition.
“We’re going to do it every year and this year was the first year, and this next year is going to be way bigger,” said Franklin. ”It’s going to get bigger every year. We have national teams here right now, and there’s going to be some other guys from other places, from other states and stuff that’s going to be here as well.”
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