Kids have plenty of choices when it comes to recreation

By Kezia Setyawan

Staff Writer

Houma-Thibodaux has plenty of recreation options for young athletes looking to score a touchdown, shoot a basketball, deliver a cheer or become active in other sports.

Here’s how to connect with programs throughout Terrebonne and Lafourche:

• Terrebonne Recreation, 1192 Barrow St. in Houma, offers football, cheerleading, volleyball, basketball, baseball and softball. 873-6584. • Houma’s Bayouland YMCA, 103 Valhi Blvd., offers soccer, flag football, cheerleading, swimming and basketball for children. 873-9622. • The Houma-Terrebonne Soccer Association has leagues for ages 7-16. Call 868-3897 or visit houmasoccer.com. • James Academy, 308 Venture Blvd., Houma, offers gymnastics for ages 3-18 and cheerleading for ages 5-18. Visit jamesacademy.com. • Jennings Gymnastics, 114 Robin Lane in Schriever, offers gymnastics and cheerleading for ages 2-18. 446-0435. • The Bayou Black Rec Center holds registration for swimming lessons starting in April and other activities for all

By Dan Copp

Staff Writer

There are plenty of fun-filled things to do in Terrebonne and Lafourche if you’re a kid. Make giant bubbles at the Bayou Country Children’s Museum or spend an afternoon fishing in one of the area’s many waterways. Here are five places kids of all ages will enjoy. Hours are subject to change because of the pandemic.

1. The Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium’s marine research

center in Cocodrie offers a variety of programs that teach children about the area’s rich marshlands and swamps and the unique wildlife that inhabits them. They include field trips, boat rides and a summer camp. Visit LUMCON at 8124 La. 56, call 851-2800 or check its website at cwc.lumcon.edu.

A local Bayou Bandits volleyball team

celebrates a tourney title win. [BAYOU BANDITS]

ages throughout the year. Information: 876-4270. • The Bayou Athletic Youth Association offers softball and baseball leagues during the summer and fall for ages 6-18. Call 209-0733. • The Bayou Bandits Volleyball Club enrolls girls ages 8-18 in Terrebonne and Lafourche. Visit https://bayoubanditsvolleyball.weebly.com. • The Louisiana Baseball Academy, 3007 W. Park Ave. in Gray, offers private instruction in hitting, pitching, arm care and other skills. The academy has travel

2. The Bayou Country Children’s

Museum in Thibodaux offers camps, events and other activities guaranteed to delight. Children can learn as they play on a full-size sugar-cane harvester, spot waterfowl from a duck blind, toss Mardi Gras beads, experience a severe weather or fire simulation or climb aboard a shrimp boat or oil derrick. Admission is $8 per person. The museum, 211 Rue Betancourt, hosts special events throughout the year and it’s a great place to have your child’s birthday party. Information: call 446-2200 or visit bayoucountrychildrensmuseum.org.

3. Check out the beaches at Grand

Isle, the summer spot for families near and far. Many own or rent camps along the beach, but you don’t need to do that to have fun on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Grand Isle State Park has beach tent campsites available starting at baseball teams for ages 9-and-under to 14-and-under. Call 876-4494 or visit lbabaseball.com. • The Louisiana Sports Gym, 544 S. Hollywood Road in Houma, offers cheerleading classes. Call 580-9746 or visit lasportsgym.com. • The Extreme MMA & Fitness Gym of Houma, 1226 Lafayette St., offers martial arts and boxing classes for kids and adults. 873-5722. • The Terrebonne Parish Tennis Complex on Southdown West Boulevard in Houma is open seven days a week with two courts available. Free. Online: tprec. org/facilities.

LAFOURCHE

• Lafourche Recreation, 1612 La. 182, Raceland, offers softball, baseball, football and basketball. 537-7603. • Lafourche Soccer, 4049 La. 1, Raceland, offers leagues for ages 7-16. Call 537-8909 or email lafourchesoccer@ hotmail.com. • Thibodaux Recreation, 151 Peltier Park Drive, offers baseball, basketball, bowling, football, golf, pool, soccer and volleyball. 446-7235. • The Central Lafourche Baseball Association is looking for boys and girls ages 3-15. Email centrallafourchebase-

A child plays with building blocks at the

ball@gmail.com • The Cut Off Youth Center, 205 W. 79th St. in Cut Off, offers basketball, swimming and other activities. Call 632- 7616 or visit cutoffyouthcenter.org. • Nicholls State University’s Continuing Education Department offers summer camps, including baseball, basketball, cheerleading, fitness, karate, soccer, tennis, volleyball and more. 4484444. • Bayou Flag Football enrolls boys and girls ages 5-14. Games are usually held during the fall, starting in September. Call 696-4889 or visit bayouflagfootball.com. • The Bayou Titans Youth Organization offers football and boys and girls basketball. Call 226-0047 or 688-4701. • The Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken Baseball Leagues in Thibodaux are open to players 4-5 (tee-ball), 5-6 (coach pitch), 7-8 (coach pitch), 9-10 (kids pitch), 11-12 (real baseball) and 13-15 (real baseball). The league plays games in Peltier Park in Thibodaux and may play in other areas depending on the number of kids who sign up. Practices start in March and leagues will run through sometime in June. Message group President Kyle Maggio on Facebook or visit lababeruth.

5 places your kids will love

com.

Bayou Country Children‘s Museum in 2018.

information, call 1-888-787-2559 or visit the “parks” section of the state’s tourism website at crt.state.la.us. 4. Local libraries not only house some great works of literature, but they also offer family-friendly events like story times, arts and crafts, computer lessons, trivia contests and book festivals. The Courier and Daily Comet publish regular columns and calendars that highlight coming library events. Visit the library systems’ websites at mytpl.org or lafourche.org for info. 5. Go fish. With water all around us, Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes offer plenty of fishing spots. Kids younger than 16 don’t need a license, though the adult accompanying them does, and there are plenty of places to cast your line even if you don’t have a boat. You’ll find a list of great fishing spots in this edition of Living Here.