GIRARD NEWS

"Top seed Matt Calcote of Rummel opened the finals by pinning No. 2 Robbie Muller of Jesuit in four minutes, 51 seconds at 103 pounds. Top seed Jay Ferro of Jesuit then won a second consecutive state title with a 7-1 decision against No. 2 Dakota Boesch of Rummel at 112"  (nola.com)

While Girard doesn't offer Wrestling, these former baseballers took their talents to the mat for their high schools, and have excelled at the state level.  Congratulations to Jay and Matt!

We have many unclaimed sports portraits (team and individual) that have been in the Girard office, some from 2007.  They have been placed in a box to the left of the concession stand in the gym.  Please claim these by the end of basketball season.

Girard will celebrate the start of the season in a big way this year.  Several events will occur on Opening Day 2009, including:

* The Official First Pitch of the Season

* Winner of the Booster Club's $1000 Grand Prize Drawing for the Opening Day Raffle (8pm)

* The Viking Cafe will have great food all evening long - come hungry!

* Last year's 2008 Girard Vikings Dixie Youth Allstars Baseball Team will be feted for their Louisiana Dixie Youth State Runner-Up title and Louisiana South Regional Champions achievements (in between 11&12 American League games)

Make it a family event, even if your child's team is off that evening, and celebrate being a Girard Viking!

Click on the links above, and you will be able to see the info for only that specific league.  This will greatly reduce the amount of information displayed (as opposed to the entire Baseball page).

   Mobile users:  bookmark your league links for faster access.

On August 29, 2005,  Hurricane Katrina slammed into the New Orleans-Gulf Coast area, with devastating results.  The Girard community was also severely affected.

Our athletic fields and gymnasium were covered by several feet of water during the storm.  The gym roof also sustained severe damage and the entire basketball season was held at John Quincy Adams Middle School for the 2005-2006 season. 

We lost many of our shade trees in the spectator areas, along with several light standards for the baseball/football fields, and several baseball fences were blown down.  The concession stands were a complete loss, with all equipment and inventory destroyed. 

However, the biggest loss was to our families' homes.  Many of our families live in the area closest to Lake Pontchartrain, and suffered roof damage and flooding from the storm.  For months after Katrina, many families took up temporary residence in other towns and states all over the country.  For a while, things looked very, very bleak....

....then late in October 2005, the recreation district playgrounds pooled their players and began playing football games again.  Then came basketball at the middle schools, and in the spring of 2006, Girard came back fully back to life with the Soccer and Track season.  Many of our children and coaches were still living in FEMA trailers while their homes were being rebuilt, and our park provided them with the activities and normalcy they needed so badly.

It has been a long, hard road back for our community and our park, and it all culminated in some recent big events:  our 2007 Dixie Youth (12YO) Baseball Team went to Virginia and ended up being the World Series runner-ups, and one of our former players, LSU Safety Craig Steltz, became our most decorated alumni ever, winning the 2008 BCS National Football Championship, earning First Team All American honors, and being drafted by the NFL Chicago Bears.  Ironically, the other Girard alumnus to participate on a BCS National Championship football team was Craig's older brother Kevin Steltz, who was the fullback for LSU in the 2003 title game.

Now, most of our families have returned and are back in their homes.  The park looks good again, and the kids are back in droves.  However, this did not happen out of the blue.  It took a lot of hard work by everyone:  our local dedicated playground staff, the Girard Boosters, and finally our parents (and coaches).   Without their help, the return of Girard would not be possible.

Girard is still taking registration for the 2008-2009 Basketball Season.  Please plan to register your child ASAP if you haven't already done so.   It is difficult to set up leagues and coaching without all players signing up prior to skill evaluations.

Biddy Basketball tryouts are entering their final days, and the 2008 Girard Vikings team will be announced here shortly once all players have been notified and have accepted.

The fences are down, Baseball and Softball is now over, and it is time for Football, Volleyball and Cheerleading.  

REGISTRATION FOR THESE SPORTS WILL BEGIN ON AUGUST 11, 2008,  AND WILL CONTINUE THAT WEEK FROM MONDAY TO FRIDAY FROM 4PM TO 6PM IN THE GIRARD GYM MEETING ROOMS.

Please note that the First Practices for Juniors (11-13) and Minors (10-11) Football Travel Teams will be the next week, beginning on Monday, August 18, on the Football Field.

Volleyball / Bounceball activities will take place in the Girard Gym.

Cheerleading will be in conjunction with the Football games.

To Register the child:

• The Child must live within the Girard Playground District and must be registered BEFORE attending practice
• The Parent or Guardian of the Child MUST be present at registration
• Proof of Address (Driver's License or current utility bill) is REQUIRED at registration
• Age Determining Date is AUGUST 1, 2008 - any child making 6 years old on or after this date is ineligible to register
• A $3 non-refundable insurance fee must be paid upon registering

Girard has hundreds of families.  Please help our Playground Staff during registration by following all of the above requirements, and registering the week of August 11.  Having good counts of children will help determine how the leagues are set up and how many coaches will be necessary.

More information will follow on the respective sports tabs. 

Congratulations to the following Girard Allstar teams this summer:

  BASEBALL   

DIXIE YOUTH - LOUISIANA STATE MAJORS RUNNER-UPS    and

DIXIE YOUTH - LOUISIANA MAJORS SOUTH REGIONAL CHAMPIONS

Girard Vikings  11-12  Dixie Youth All-Stars

 

EASTBANK RUNNER-UPS

Girard Vikings  14U  Intramural All-Stars

Girard Vikings  9-10  All-Stars 

 

As your postseason intramural tournaments end in Baseball and Softball, please email your Allstar rosters to our VikingMail address at:

girard_vikings@yahoo.com

Please make sure the rosters are FINAL, and if you have any other information on your allstar team over the course of tournament season, send it also to the VikingMail address.  Only allstar teams that provide data will have it posted on the website.  Thanks and good luck this summer.

THANKS TO ALL WHO VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME AND DONATED GIFTS FOR THE JAMBOREE.  ALTHOUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON WAS A WASHOUT, SUNDAY WAS SUNNY AND GREAT SUCCESS! 

ALL SATURDAY GAMES, EVENTS AND THE HOME RUN DERBIES HAVE BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO RAIN......ALL SUNDAY GAMES AND EVENTS WILL GO ON AS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED......HOME RUN DERBY ENTRY FEES WILL BE REFUNDED AT THE BASKET RAFFLE BOOTH..... 

The Girard Jamboree is coming on the weekend of June 6-7.  Attached is the original schedule, but consult your coaches for any last minute changes.  Certain leagues will make up postponed league games during the Jamboree.

Jamboree Saturday Night will feature the annual Home Run Derbies, with the Adult "Babe Ruth wannabes" beginning to show their stuff between 7pm and 8pm on the Dixie Youth Field.

There will be great food, great games and many basket raffles during the two days, come on out and have some fun!

Volunteers are still needed to cover some times during the weekend doing various tasks - check in at the front concession stand if you'd like to work.

LATE CHANGES:

• The 6pm and 7pm 11-12 Dixie Youth American games have been cancelled, to allow all league players to participate in the 11-12 Home Run Derby.
• The Adult Home Run Derby will most like begin earlier than 8pm, due to the DY field being open

Watch for your Girard Vikings in the National News!

We are several weeks into our 2008 Baseball and Softball seasons and the website has little or no information from some leagues.

Please cooperate by providing up to date information at our Girard email address:

girard_vikings@yahoo.com
(underscore between girard and vikings)

For you League Directors that have provided this information, thank you!

Girard Playground will host skills Camps for Basketball and Baseball during the upcoming Winter Holiday Season.  Registration Forms for these camps will be posted here shortly.  Make your plans now!

SUNDAY

11-12 American,  9-10 American

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

11-12 American,  9-10 American

SATURDAY

*** 11-12 Biddy plays at Country Day and St Martin's High Schools on Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday