The New York Giants actually play in New Jersey.
Similarly, the Lee County Steelers, a youth football and cheer team based in Opelika, is hoping to make Tallapoosa County — specifically, Camp Hill — its home base.
Three members of the Lee County Steelers leadership approached the Camp Hill town council during a severe thunderstorm Monday to pitch their vision for the team, not long before the power went out. The mayor and council went into a flashlight-lit executive session to discuss the proposal.
The Lee County Steelers, a travel team for children ages 5-12, recruits young athletes across Phenix City, Smiths Station, Opelika and Auburn, CEO Nicole Sumner said. The program has 86 football players, 45 cheerleaders and over a dozen coaches under head coach and coordinator Cody Brown.
Sumner and Brown were joined by the organization's senior vice president Tianna Summers Monday. Summers said they hope the team can serve Camp Hill youth as well.
"We're trying to recruit these kids because they don't have a program," Summers said outside executive session. "They have to go to Dadeville to play."
The Steelers' proposal is for the town to furnish the land, while ensuring any revenue from tournaments or home games goes back into the town.
"If we have a home game, this is where our game will be," Summers said. "And if it's a tournament, all the other teams that'll come from different states will come in and that will bring money to the city. It's their revenue — it's their land."
Where that land for a football field may be is still up for discussion.
"We don't know yet; that's what they're deciding now," Sumner said as the council was still in executive session. Sumner said the Steelers initially presented the idea to Camp Hill mayor Messiah Williams-Cole, who brought it before the council Monday. The council has yet to vote on a decision.
If successful, the Steelers' biggest competitor would be East Alabama Youth Football League which has teams in Tallapoosa, Macon and Elmore counties including Dadeville, Horseshoe Bend and Reeltown.
However, the Steelers are not interested in poaching athletes, Sumner said.
"We don't recruit off of any football team," she said. "We have ethics when it comes to other teams. We respect their team."
Rather, the Steelers are for "people who need the opportunity to play," Summers iterated.
The next Camp Hill council meeting is May 17 at 6 p.m.
