RESERVE — Craig Laborde admits it’s nice to be back on the baseball diamond, but the truth is, he’s never really left.

Laborde has been named head coach of the Riverside Academy baseball team, taking the place of Ashton Perret, who served as a first-year head coach for the 2019 season. Perret recently resigned to pursue a public school coaching position.

Laborde, an assistant football coach at Riverside Academy, hasn’t coached high school baseball since 2008. In the meantime, he’s been a father and a coach to four sons on rec and travel ball teams.

One of his sons is still in travel ball. The youngest, a 5-year-old, is being introduced to the sport with Laborde by his side, coaching his T-ball team.

However, Laborde’s baseball roots go much deeper, tracing back to 1985. He stepped away from baseball after serving as head football and baseball coach at Miller-McCoy Academy in New Orleans after the school was chartered in the 2008-2009 school year. Growing both programs from their infancy, he realized the football program required a larger time commitment.

Laborde has also been head football coach for Higgins High School, South Plaquemines High School and the Class 7A Washington High School in Florida.

Now it’s time to get back to the basics of baseball in the Rebel way.

“What we’re really looking to do is get Riverside baseball back to what it had been,” Laborde said. “We’ve got a good group of young kids. Last year wasn’t the best year for them. Some of the kids kind of soured on baseball.”

The Rebels baseball team ended the 2019 regular season 13-16 and suffered a first-round play-off loss against Holy Savior Menard. Laborde isn’t looking to repeat history. He sees a brighter future for the team with a focus on discipline and school pride.

“Because I’m an assistant football coach, some of the guys are getting to know me,” Laborde said. “I think that I’m a no-nonsense guy. Everything we do is going to reflect well on the school. They know that when they put that name across their chest, they’re not just representing themselves. They are representing me. They are representing their school, and we are going to do things the right way.”

Laborde will ensure the team moves forward full-force all of the time. As the Riverside Academy school disciplinarian, he knows how to maintain order and promote good character.

“They know I’m going to be tough with them, but they also know I’m going to be fair,” Laborde said. “I think the kids need that structure. Even though they push back from time to time I think they crave that structure, and I think providing it will only make us a better baseball team.”

As a baseball coach, Laborde values strong pitching and a sound defense. He wants to promote an aggressive offense by encouraging kids to utilize their speed and take extra bases.