By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

EDGARD — Minor league football is returning to St. John Parish.

The Louisiana Storm football team is set to have tryouts March 24 at West St. John High School and it’s season is set to begin April 28.

The team, established and coached by Fred Washington, will play in the National Football Association after a short hiatus; the Storm last played in 2010, when its home games were played in New Orleans.

Now, Washington believes the team presents a unique opportunity for young men in the community.

“What we want to establish and attract is a community-based, family oriented atmosphere,” said Washington. “I think we can provide a form of mentoring for many young men, and guide them to better become productive citizens.”

The team’s home games will be played at West St. John as well. Washington was effusive in his praise of the support he and the Storm have received from the St. John Parish school system and West St. John Athletic Director Robert Valdez.

“We’ve had their full cooperation,” said Washington. “They and Coach Valdez have been great, behind us 100 percent.”

Washington noted that a number of former Storm players have moved on to play at higher levels.  

“We’ve had a total of seven guys go on to play in junior college. Ten have gone on to play in the Arena League and Arena II, indoor football,” he said. “And we’ve also had coaches move on to coach, be it in indoor football or at the prep level.”

One way players on the team can look to as a way to get noticed is to earn a spot to play in the league’s All-Star game, which will be contested at Tad Gormley Stadium in New Orleans.

“Division II and Division III scouts … mainly small schools, but there have been some Division I scouts there,” he said.

Another way is to play in the league’s National Championship Game, something not far out of the realm of possibility: the Storm have a championship pedigree, having won a national crown in the North American Football League in 2007, its first year of existence.

Registration to try out on March 24 will begin at 9 a.m. For more info, call Washington at 504-237-6192.