Dixie Youth, VPGSA hoping to find way to play season without World Series

Youth baseball and softball in Ville Platte took a monumental blow over the past week when both Dixie Youth Baseball and PONY Softball cancelled their World Series tournaments.
For Dixie Youth, this was the first time that a cancellation of the World Series has occurred in its 64-year history.
“It not something that you want to happen, especially for our 12-year old players,” stated Ville Platte Dixie Youth President Jedd Lafleur. “For us here in Ville Platte, this will be the last time for that age group to play Dixie Youth. So, to not get a chance at playing in a World Series is blow to those players.”
Ville Platte Girl’s Softball Association President Sadie Figueiredo related some of the same sentiments as Lafleur.
“It is disheartening for the players not to have a chance to end their season in a major tournament,” Figueiredo said. “Our program here in Ville Platte has been very successful over the past years and have always competed well at the World Series level.”
Despite the cancellation of those major tournaments, both Lafleur and Figueiredo are hoping to at least get regular season play completed.
“Our plans are to get started as soon as we are given the green light”, commented Lafleur. “Right now we are not sure about a state tournament, but with the World Series being cancelled, I would think that Dixie Youth is not going to sanction any post-season tournament.”
“As far as the regular season goes, I am for playing whenever,” Lafleur continued. “Right now I have my commissioners making a schedule for the regular season. But, I told them to be ready to modify that if it becomes necessary.”
According to Figueiredo, any season that may happen for VPGSA will depend on a number of factors.
“We are going to have to see what the next few weeks will bring,” stated Figueiredo. “A lot of things are going to have to happen for us to be able to play. It depends on the restrictions that may still be in place and what each phase will bring.”
“As of right now I am praying for us to actually have a regular season,” she continued. “We may have to have fewer games on each day and extend the amount of time it takes to play the season out. One thing is for sure, if we do have a regular season, we are still planning on having a raffle that was already in place.”