J. EDMUND BARNES

PHOTOS:Top, Reserve Heat Coach Raffeal Neal rallies the troops during Thursday’s game against the LaPlace Lil’ Rascals. Lower right, Coach Lloyd Clayton of the Lil’ Rascals gives baserunning advice to Ryan Foster. (Staff Photos by J. Edmund Barnes) RESERVE – With the end of the school year and the beginning of summer, local youth baseball teams are in full swing. These run the gamut from the 5- to 6-year-old T-Ball leagues all the way to the American Legion teams that are in competition for the national championship. The very beginning of this time line are the T-Ball teams. The young athletes step up to the plate for the first time, set up a soft baseball and take a swing. Strike outs are rare, runs are plentiful and errors are non-existent. Thursday’s game between the Reserve Heat and the LaPlace Lil’ Rascals was a typical example. The Lil’ Rascals were playing a double-header against the Heat and the Edgard Eagles at Regala just outside of Reserve. Some of the youngsters were struggling with the basics of the game of baseball while others had already grown beyond the T-Ball stand and were taking pitches from the coach. There was no fence to swing for – home runs were a matter of running all the way around the bases before someone tagged or threw you out. The kids loved it. The game was only a handful of innings long, lest the kids lose interest. Everyone got to hit at least once. The coaches were fully involved in the game – from keeping the fielders on their feet, literally, to keeping the baserunners within the infield and moving around the bases in the proper order. The coaches loved it, too. Bruce Perrilloux, one of the Heat’s coaches, is a T-Ball veteran. He started his son in the St. Charles Parish T-Ball leagues; now he is bringing his 5-year-old grandson, Raneldon Williams, out to play. “I have a lot of fun,” Perrilloux said. “I’ve got four more grandkids, and I’m looking forward to getting all of them out here.” Kenneth Taylor, head coach of the Edgard Eagles, said that T-Ball was a good way to keep the kids out of trouble. “This is the first year for T-Ball in Reserve,” Taylor said. “It is a lot of these kids first time playing baseball. They are looking forward to playing ball. “When they don’t have a game they’re upset.” Taylor added, “We had major problems with the storm. They’re ready to play. They haven’t played in weeks. “I’m impressed with the kids, playing for the first time. They listen. They’re disciplined.” Phil Adams, whose son Phil Jr. and nephew Ryan Foster play for the LaPlace Lil’ Rascals, said, “T-Ball is fun. It takes a lot of time. I like teaching the kids. That’s what it’s all about.” Raffeal Neal has coached youth baseball for 10 years and he said, “Coaching T-Ball is a great challenge, but it’s needed. “Next year I hope we have more than three teams.”