Gotta love Monroe!

Each year I take my troops (the Destrehan baseball team), to Monroe, LA, for the Bayou State Classic in and around Monroe. The classic hosts 70 of the top teams from around the state, and draws college coaches from around the region.

That would be a good reason to go, but that is not my reason.

I believe that this trip bonds the team. Three days in tight quarters with few distractions. They have to travel, eat and sleep as a team. They find out a lot about each other (not all of it good), and learn to deal with each other.

Sometimes they find friends and many times they discover that their teammate is not someone they would otherwise hang out with. As for me, both of these senerios need to be discovered. It makes a team what it is.

This year was tougher than most. We started 0-2 after two days. We left for the tournament feeling pretty good about ourselves, being 4-1, and coming off an impressive 3-0 victory over a talented Central of Baton Rouge.

But the good feelings didn't last long, as our Achilles Heel reappeared and our defense disappeared. We have shown the ability to make errors in bunches, and did so in two tough losses, 13-0 to Airline, and 12-5 to Captain Shreve.

The ugly underbelly always shows when things get like this and selfish players get called out by their teammates. This trip was no exception. The seniors began their attack on cocky underclassmen.

This not a bad thing and the offending party cannot just grab their bag and go home. This is where the "becoming a team starts," and everyone ends up involved.

The rains came on Saturday and we spent the day on our chartered bus. Up at 6:00 a.m. to get checked out of the hotel and drive to West Ouachita. We arrived early to find a tarp on the field, and a bad weather report. The weather report was correct, and before the 1st pitch the rain came.

Back to the bus we ran to wait out the rain delay, then came the 1st cancellation. The second game was at 2:30 in Ruston, so we were off on our 45 minute ride. It is now close to 12:30, so we stop to eat at Burger King. Before we could eat our burgers the call came that the 2nd game was canceled. Back to West Ouachita for a 5:00 game. We get back on the bus headed to W.O. to hit under their covered hitting facility. But the call came at 2:00pm. No way the field will be ready. Would you like to try for 7:00 p.m?

Thanks but no thanks. It's time to head for home.

The next 5 hour ride went off without incident, and the Wildcats were home for 7:00 p.m.

Before I sent them on their way, I had a quick meeting with the players in the locker room about character, hard work, and making baseball first. They left for mom, girl friends and who knows what on this Mardi Gras weekend.

I hope this trip was a success and the next few weeks will give us the answer.

Go Cats go, just not on a bus.