Abbeville’s rec director building foundation for department

Trenton Baudoin has made the most of his time as the director of the Abbeville Parks and Recreation Department.
The Abbeville City Council hired Baudoin last October.
“We felt Trenton was the right guy for the job,” Abbeville Mark Piazza said during Tuesday’s Abbeville Kiwanis Club meeting. “He’s done a fantastic job.”
Baudoin, an Abbeville native and Abbeville High graduate, spoke to the Kiwanians, filling them in on what has taken place during his nearly three months on the job.
“This is a dream job for me,” Baudoin said. “I am loving every second of it.”
Those seconds will soon be consumed by baseball and softball, with the two sports on the horizon. Before that, Baudoin and his crew are putting a bow on the first sport he handled.
“We are finishing up our basketball season,” Baudoin explained. “I took over in mid-October, which is a little past time to get rolling on basketball.”
That didn’t stop the department.
“We jumped in with our feet running,” Baudoin said. “The numbers last year were 96 kids. We finished with more than 190 kids this year.
“We doubled the numbers and are having a really successful season.”
That is expected to definitely be the case in the future, as basketball in Abbeville now has an umbrella under which to play.
“We just started the Dale Brown Basketball Organization,” Baudoin said proudly.
The city has played on rec leagues in recent years, with another organization holding the Biddy Basketball charter for Vermilion Parish, making it not available for Abbeville under Biddy’s guidelines.
Baudoin said he wanted Abbeville to play under an organization like Biddy, so that players can be eligible for All-Star teams. With no roads open, Baudoin set out to make a path.
“I had an idea to come up with something on our own,” Baudoin said. “When I was thinking of a name, I wanted to model it off what Babe Ruth Baseball does, with a big name in front. In Louisiana, who could you go with? The names that come to mind were Shaq, Karl Malone, Dale Brown and “Pistol” Pete (Maravich).”
Baudoin decided on Brown, the legendary former LSU basketball coach.
“I tracked down his e-mail,” Baudoin said. “A few hours later I got an e-mail back from him and he loved the idea.”
Baudoin recently traveled to Baton Rouge to meet the coach and signed the paper work to formally create the league. Baudoin has spoken with officials in other communities about becoming a part of Dale Brown Basketball.
“That is something that is going to be really exciting for basketball here,” Baudoin said. “It is hopefully going to go in full effect for next year.”
As for spring sports, Baudoin said the department is getting ready.
“Baseball and softball are right around the corner,” Baudoin said. “We are doing a lot of work on the fields. It is starting to come together very nicely.”
Like basketball, Abbeville played baseball season last year under no official league. Baudoin said he is happy to announce that the city will return this season to its longtime roots of Babe Ruth Baseball and Softball.
“I have spoken to the state commissioner,” Baudoin said, “and this season we have plans to host several district tournaments. That will bring tons of people and baseball to (A.A. Comeaux) park. We are also looking at hosting a state tournament next year.
“That is great for baseball in Abbeville.”
On March 7, A.A. Comeaux Park will open up to showcase all the parks and recreation has to offer.
“We are going to have a Community Day,” Baudoin said. “This started as a goal to push for registration. We will have packets where you can sign up for all of our sports. We want to try to bring in as many people as we can.
“There will be activities all over the park.”
The event will begin at 9 a.m., with contests going throughout the day. An Easter Egg hunt will wrap things up at 3 p.m.
“This event keeps getting bigger and that is a great thing,” Baudoin said.