Play ball!
Later this month, St. Charles Parish joins with St. John Parish to officially launch a Little League charter in baseball and softball this season. The inaugural softball season begins on March 23 while baseball kicks off on the 24th.
The newly established Little League program is open to boys and girls ages nine through 12, and serves eligible athletes who live or attend school in St. Charles or St. John the Baptist Parish. Tryout sign-ups were in December and games will be played at the East and West Bank Bridge Parks.
Daniel Luquet, assistant director for youth sports at St. Charles Parish Parks and Recreation, said it’s an exciting time for the department’s athletes and coaches alike.
“It’s a way for us to give our kids more of an opportunity to get out and play competitive baseball and softball,” said Luquet. “Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen that we lose a lot of kids who play travel ball. And a lot of kids whose parents grew up playing recreation and played at the East Bank and West Bank (bridge parks) don’t play as much anymore, because that’s been taken up by travel ball. So, this gives our kids an opportunity to get back to playing on the field their parents grew up on.”
Luquet said it will give the young athletes a chance to play in an All-Star system and potentially advance through district, state and regional rounds – and possibly the chance to play in Williamsport, Pa., at the Little League Baseball World Series, or Greenville, N.C., where the Little League Softball World Series is played – both nationally televised events.
The season will run from March to mid-May.
Luquet said working in the Little League system opens up valuable resources for recreation athletes and coaches alike.
“As far as the ability to train coaches, their resources are unmatched. So, while you may watch a training video through Little League, we have a lot of moms and dads that coach multiple sports in our program, so to take some of those things they learn through Little League and apply it to girls flag football, or basketball or tennis – I think it bodes will for all of our sports just using this platform,” Luquet said.
St. Charles Parish Parks and Recreation director Duane Foret called it a chance to bring tremendous exposure for the parish’s young athletes.
“And also tremendous exposure to St. Charles Parish,” said Foret, who added that hopes are to ultimately add St. James Parish to the mix. “The River Parishes have a rich history of athletics. It’s one little area in Louisiana and being able to work with our neighboring parish, compete around the state and represent this area, it’s something we’re very excited about.
“We look forward to maybe hosting some district, regional and national tournaments to bring that tourism and economic development aspect to our parish.”
Foret noted this was a two-year process between applying for the charter and setting boundary lines. The charter was formally awarded in fall of last year.
The department put together a committee that helped with player evaluations that included in its ranks former Destrehan head baseball coach Marty Luquet, former St. Charles Catholic head football and baseball coach Frank Monica, former Destrehan head baseball coach Stephen Weber and former Hahnville head softball coach Kenneth Vial.
“We have some very talented softball and baseball programs throughout both parishes. But the really cool and unique thing about this is these kids who are on these teams, many of them may have never known each other before they were on this team,” Daniel Luquet said. “It’s really an opportunity for kids to create friendships with somebody who they may never have met in their life otherwise.”
Luquet added that there are plans to expand the age groups – currently 9-10 and 11-12 – in future seasons.
