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2009 Louisiana Governor's Games Wrap Up
The Louisiana Governor’s Games vision of producing one of the finest series of amateur sporting events has become a reality yet again. Through many events hosted here in Baton Rouge and throughout the state, the Games have promoted physical fitness and health to countless individuals.

During the weekend of May 1st through 3rd, Tiger Aquatics held their Spring Invitational Meet at the LSU Natatorium. Seventy-seven swimmers competed in events such as Relays (individual and medley), Freestyle, and Backstroke over the three days. A special thanks goes to David Geyer of Tiger Aquatics for making this event a success.

That first weekend of May also held the first annual “Unity Day” Traditional Karate Seminars and Demonstrations which took place at the Family Christian Academy gymnasium. This event focused on youth and families engaging and empowering themselves to succeed in life. Congratulations to John Daniel and his team at Daniel Karate Group. Thanks also to Family Christian Academy and especially Robin Herd.

May 9th and 10th were also fun-filled days for the family. The Tangi Archery Club’s Combination Shoot had individuals competing in a series of 20 shots at three distances. There was also a NFAA hunter round. A thank you goes to Ralph Sibley and the Tangi Archery Club for their hard work and devotion to their sport and we look forward to working with you in the future.

Also happening that weekend was the 6th Annual LA Open Disc Golf Tournament. Nearly 80 individuals participated in the LA Open Disc Golf Tournament in twelve divisions. Participants played at Highland Road Park, Greenwood Park, and Scotlandville Park. Congratulations to Will Timmons and the Baton Rouge Disc Golf Association for another successful event.

1335 youth from around the state attended the USSSA/Governor’s Games Baseball Tournament during the weekend of May 22nd. Taking place at BREC’s Oak Villa Ball Complex, the “Open” division had over 80 teams playing. The last Saturday in May, 240 players arrived in Baton Rouge to play in USSSA Men’s Slow Pitch Softball Tournament. A special thanks to USSSA, Brian Deselles, and Joey Odom for making these events a success.

The weekend of June 5th held the USAPA Mid-South Regional Pickleball Tournament. This paddle game brought the interest of over a hundred participants to the ExerFit Gymnasium. There were three main divisions, singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. The tournament was set with a double elimination in each age group and then a single elimination for the division winners. Many thanks goes to the Mid-South Regional Pickleball Committee, Tom Burkhart, Pierre Boudreaux, and John Lopez, for making the event a reality. Also thanks to Mandy Leach and the ExerFit Family for providing their excellent facility.

The same weekend of June 5th, the AAU Boy’s Basketball Tournament was taking place at many sites throughout the city. Youth between the ages of 9 years and 17 years participated in a single elimination tournament. Congratulations to Roch Weilbacher and the team at Southern AAU for hosting another successful event in Baton Rouge.

Tiger Aquatics hosted their Summer Classic on June 19-21 at the LSU Natatorium. Over 600 USA Swimming participants swam in the events over a 3 day period. Events are Timed Finals for the 12 and Under age group or Prelims and Finals for the 13 and Over age group. Thanks again to David Geyer and the Tiger Aquatics Staff.

The following weekend, the Gumbo of Dance took place at the Crowne Plaza Ballroom. 250 competitors participated in two divisions, the amateur Gumbo DanceSport Championships and the pro-am Louisiana Challenge. Couples range from youth to their 80s and beginners to national champions. Congratulations to Ann Durocher for a successful event. The same weekend of June 26-28th, the Bird Dedon Memorial Tournament was held at Oak Villa Ball Complex. This ASA Girl’s Fast Pitch Softball Tournament took place over three days hosting over 700 players. A special thanks to Rose Dedon for her dedication to the event.

Saturday, July 11th saw the return of the Redfish 7s Rugby Tournament for their 33rd year. The tournament had divisions for high school, women, and men. The Redfish 7s Rugby Tournament is a fast-paced game featuring seven players per team as compared to the 15 player version. It also features a shortened time of 14 minutes as compared to 80 minutes. Both of these adjustments allow for many games to be played in a day. Thanks goes to Craig Gothreaux and the Baton Rouge Rugby Football Club for putting on a successful tournament.

Lastly, thank you to the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sport and Mr. Rudy Macklin for their dedication to creating and providing competitive athletic opportunities for all citizens of our state. The Sports Foundation is proud to partner with the Governor’s Games and Mr. Macklin to continue to grow this series of events and continue to improve quality of life for the people of this area and around the state.

For more information about the 2009 Louisiana Governor’s Games, visit: www.lagovernorsgames.org

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