During the offseason of baseball and softball, the parish’s many parks underwent various infrastructure upgrades that included the addition of a T-ball field to Dow Field and a new parking lot in Killona.
But one change has led to “several” calls to parish administration – the decision to have all-dirt infields at both the West and East Bank Bridge Parks.
The work done to the bridge park fields is meant to accommodate a wider number of players, meaning boys’ and girls’ teams of varying ages. With the grass removed from the infield, the fields are now suitable for softball and baseball. Recreation has also purchased portable pitching mounds, therefore avoiding the need to build different mounds for specific types of games.
“We are getting a lot of calls about why we skinned the infield and now have an all-dirt infield,” Parish President V.J. St. Pierre said. “But this is the new direction that most recreation parks are heading.”
According to Kenny Guedry, of the parish Recreation Department, these field changes are becoming a trend across the country. It also allows the fields to drain more effectively so they are put back in service sooner after rain.
“I talked to Kenny and he told me that after we had a hard weekend of rain, they were now able to play a ball game three hours later,” St. Pierre said.
Along with the new T-ball field at Dow and parking lot in Killona, New Sarpy also got a newly-painted pavilion, new horseshoe pits and bleacher pads. The East Bank Bridge Park received a new backstop and improvements to outfield fences, while a new batting cage was constructed at the West Bank Bridge Park.
The baseball fields in Boutte, Ama, Killona and Mimosa were also reconditioned.
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