By Rita LeBleu

rlebleu@americanpress.com

The pandemic disrupted Little League play throughout Southwest Louisiana. In Moss Bluff, Hurricanes Laura and Delta destroyed the fields, making a 2021 season an uncertainty.

Time was ticking and the field conditions remained unchanged. That’s when Dustin Duhon, a Moss Bluff resident reached out to his boss, Chad Evans, executive director of Recreation District 1, Ward 4 of Westlake: Could Moss Bluff Little Leaguers play on Westlake’s fields? Evans was all in.

“We’ve always wanted to get more people involved in our rec league,” Duhon said.

Moss Bluff Little League Baseball and Softball President John Miguez said there might not have been a season if not for Duhon’s initiative and the actions of the Moss Bluff Little League Board of Directors.

“I took over this league because I want these kids to have every opportunity to play baseball,” he said. “It’s all about the kids. I don’t really like the phrase, ‘the new normal’ but I was really hoping we could restore a bit of normalcy. It’s been such a tough year.”

More than 600 Moss Bluff boys and girls from ages 4 to 16 participated last year. Duhon and Miguez both played Little League ball, though Miguez admits he didn’t really appreciate his parent’s effort to keep him involved until he had children of his own who play.

Registration for Moss Bluff Little League will be 9 a.m.-noon today, March 20, at Rouses’ outdoor patio area. Adhere to CDC guidelines for social distancing and masks. To streamline registration, parents can print out forms from mossblufflittleleague.com. Forms include a medical release and volunteer coach form. (Forms also available at registration site.) Players must be registered before the closing date of April 2.