DYB is bigger than games and scores

Summers are special when you’re a kid.
It’s the feeling of finally being free from school. Having the chance to sleep in a little, grab your stuff and play with friends, swim, have a family vacation and other things that just scream escaping when you’re a kid.
In short, summers off are among the most magical memories a kid can make.
I can remember so many summers as a kid in Eunice, back when the city ran and funded a public swimming pool.
Admission was a measly one dollar, and the time spent there was priceless.
The world has changed since then, and yet summers can still hold the same magical value for kids.
The sport synonymous with summer is baseball.
Whether it was playing in the backyard when I was a kid, playing in a city league or making all-star teams if you’re lucky enough, the sport maintains a stronghold on the hottest part of the year.
Nowhere is that more true than here in Ville Platte, where baseball remains the top dog.
It became especially real to me a couple years ago when I took the sports editor position here at The Gazette and was told I’d have to cover all-star baseball in the summer.
My mental response was ‘What?’
I’d never worked at a paper where that was the case. It was unique to me. It still is.
But, it’s also begun to be a magical part of my job here.
Dixie Youth Baseball, for lack of a better way of putting it, is part of the fabric of Ville Platte.
It’s king during summer, and I often see the same families all through the region throughout the summer.
And what’s the common thread from what I spoke about earlier? These kids are making memories that last them a lifetime.
Be it learning the right way to play the game or making a deep run that ends with them making it to the state tournament or perhaps further, the dedication these young men have to show during the summer deserves a tip of the cap.
To be playing multiple games a day in weather that often is exceeding 100 degrees is a grueling ask.
But, this is a crucial part of a kid’s life. The dog days of summer build resiliency, and ultimately the memories.
There is no kid that won’t look back at the summers spent playing baseball with resentment. At this young age, you only do things because you enjoy them.
For parents, it’s the joy of seeing your child grow and improve. It’s making those memories yourselves.
You might forget the score. But, you’ll remember the hot days, the laughs and the memories made along the road.
So, for an outsider like me, it’s easy now to understand why Dixie Youth Baseball is so important around here.
It’s the small town bond built by families who want the same thing you do.
And, once again, you can’t undervalue memories like that.