St. Martinville summer athletic programs start

PHOTO: SUMMER COACHES (from left) Jerome Mitchell, Tiger Football Camp; Jude Fredrick, Tiger Soccer Camp; and New Day Basketball League coach Kelton Marshall appear at the St. Martinville City Council meeting to promote their athletic and enrichment activities for youngsters. (Karl Jeter)

Summer athletic programs are gearing up and it promises to be a fun vacation time for local youngsters. Coaches from the New Day Basketball League, the Tiger Football Camp and the Tiger Soccer Camp were at the May 18 meeting of the St. Martinville City Council meeting to talk about their programs.
Dates have been set for the New Day Basketball League, which will run from June 10 to Aug. 1. The co-ed league will be an evening program and will play in the JCEP gym on S. Martin Luther King Street. Coach Kelton Marshall told the council that 150 children have signed up so far and he expects as many as 250 to participate. Marshall said that the camp will focus on enrichment and sportsmanship along with serious basketball.
The newly re-turfed Tiger Stadium will host two camps, the dates of both are yet to be announced. A one-week football camp for boys aged 8 and up will give kids a chance to train with the SMHS football team. Coach Jerome Mitchell said that the camp will put an emphasis on teaching boys to avoid football injuries. Participation requires a GPA of 2.5 or better.
Also at the Tiger Stadium, the Tiger Soccer Camp will be a two week co-ed program. Coach Jude Fredrick, who will be coaching the new SMSH soccer team, will lead the camp. Again, coaches will be assisted by players from the SMSH soccer team. District 1 Councilman Mike Fuselier proposed a grant of $1,000 for the basketball league and $600 for each of the two camps, and the council approved the funds.
In other business, the council discussed a long-standing waste water problem at the mobile home park in the 100 block of Resweber Street. District 2 Councilman Craig Prosper said that the leak, on private property, has apparently not been addressed at all after several months. He recommended that the city take action by shutting off the water to the park if that is the only way to get the owner’s attention.
City attorney Allan Durand said that the city should get a ruling from public health officials that the leak is creating a health hazard before proceeding.