An alternative for those families looking for a welcoming, convenient opportunity for their kids to play sports is once again open for spring registration.

Full Circle Sportz is a local athletic program for children and young teens who are looking for the sort of experience that’s a bit less competitive and demanding than other sports offerings.

The program is organized chiefly by lifetime Waterloo resident John Moore, who’s long been interested in providing athletic opportunities for kids.

Moore graduated from Waterloo High School, having played football, baseball and hockey while attending. He currently serves as the junior varsity coach for the school’s baseball team as well as assistant coach for the junior high baseball team.

He’s long been passionate about athletics even beyond high school. Moore attended college in part thanks to his football career, and much of the work he’s done over the years prior to Full Circle has focused on youth sports.

“Sports is the avenue that really gave me my path to college,” Moore said. “I went to school to play football, and I ended up finishing my college career playing ice hockey. Through college I was in different organizations like Special Olympics, other various little organizations through school that we helped out young kids play different sports.”

He also noted it was through athletics that he met his wife.

Moore went to school to be a physical education teacher, serving in this capacity in Jerseyville and later getting involved with another organization focused on setting up youth athletic organizations around the country.

Full Circle Sportz is among Moore’s efforts to provide an accessible athletic opportunity locally.

“I just always really wanted to provide something for kids to be a part of sports where it was something easy for them to get into, to experience it without all the craziness that goes on where kids are getting yelled at by coaches,” Moore said. “It’s all about fun and convenience for the family. I knew there was a need out there.”

Full Circle’s offerings include flag football, T-ball and soccer.

A special focus is placed on accessibility and providing a welcoming environment. Athletes don’t have to try out. Every kid is given a chance to play, and Full Circle also offers an adaptive sports league ensuring kids with disabilities get a chance to be young athletes as well.

“Our biggest thing is that we want everybody to know what it feels like to be included and have a spot for everybody to be part of a team,” Moore said.

Moore added that, instead of focusing on competitiveness, emphasis is instead placed on the experience of athletics and being on a team.

He noted character development is a key component of Full Circle’s activity, with each week featuring a characteristic word for athletes to focus on in an effort to making them well-rounded people.

Along with being a welcoming environment for kids, the program is also meant to be a convenience for families.

Full Circle practices take place right before games, which are scheduled on Saturdays. This all takes place on the grounds located at 405 Front Street in Waterloo.

Moore said keeping activity confined to one day a week has been well-received by families, as it allows them to avoid the chaos that often comes with practices and games dominating their schedules.

Parents of youth who’ve played through Full Circle Sportz spoke positively about their experiences.

Kelsey Mitchell emphasized how welcoming the program is, also noting how nice it is to keep everything confined to one day.

“I think Full Circle Sportz has really been a great addition to our community,” Mitchell said. “I think it’s a very welcoming environment for children, especially starting sports. My oldest son really enjoys playing flag football, and my daughter has enjoyed playing soccer through their program.”

Likewise having multiple kids playing with Full Circle, Josh Boyer also praised the convenience of having both practices and games on the same day – though he also voiced appreciation for the inclusivity of the program as his daughter has special needs that might otherwise preclude her from participating in many other programs.

“We’re a busy family so for us, the fact that you can have the games on the same day as the practice is a big deal,” Boyer said. “We’re just too busy to do it any other way, so it gives us an opportunity for our kids… My daughter Lydia, they had some custom-made foam attachments that will go on her wheelchair so she can play soccer.”

Registration for the leagues set to run from mid-March through April is currently open. Moore once again emphasized Full Circle really is meant to provide any opportunity to any kid.

“We’re taking registrations now for T-ball, flag football and soccer from ages 3 all the way to about 14,” Moore said. “Any skill level is welcome, from beginners to advanced players, just looking to come out, have fun, participate and be part of a team.”

He said the program tends to involve about 150-215 kids during the spring – and tends to be even busier than the fall.

Moore said he’s eager to see the program grow further as the plan would be to simply add more teams while making sure each athlete still gets their time to shine.

For more information on Full Circle Sportz or to register for the spring, visit fullcirclesportz.com.