Matson keeps recreation moving

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, April 26, 2000

MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / April 26, 2000

LULING – When St. Charles Parish Director of Parks and Recreation LarryMatson got into his office Monday morning, he already had a long list of things to do for the week. Visits to make, phone calls to make and return,projects to work on.

When you’re the recreation director for a department that oversees 100 ballfields and thousands of participants, that’s a typical occurrence. And it’sa job that Matson truly enjoys.

“I look forward to getting to it every morning,” Matson, who came on board as recreation director Jan. 10, said. “Every day, there are new decisions tomake and new challenges to meet and I look forward to that. Some of thedecisions are not easy and some are not going to be popular with everyone but’s part of the job and I try to do the best I can.”Matson’s journey began on the Little League baseball fields in Long Beach, California like those he is currently helping to maintain. But it was in highschool that he developed a real passion for sports.

“My goal was to become a big league ballplayer,” Matson said. “I wanted to goto college and play baseball and I did that.”Matson went to Auburn University where he played varsity baseball. He wenton to sign a pro contract with Pittsburgh and played one summer of pro ball.

Matson went back to Auburn to finish school and was asked if he would like to do play-by-play for baseball. Matson accepted and decided that was what hewanted to. But Matson, who was studying aerospace engineering at the time,was afraid he would disappoint his grandfather who was helping him get through school. His grandfather, however, told him that was what he thoughtcollege was for, preparing you for what you wanted to do.

“I got that wisdom from him,” Matson said. “I was learning what I wanted todo.”Matson was doing a broadcast for Samford University one day when they were playing at Tulane. A fellow sitting behind him asked him if he would liketo move to New Orleans and become a Tulane announcer.

Matson would end up not only doing Green Wave games but also broadcasts for LSU, UNO, McNeese State, the Saints and the Zephyrs in the New Orleans area. During that time, he would be named the Louisiana Sportscaster of theYear six times.

“When I first took the job at Tulane, people ask why I did that,” Matson recalls. “I looked at it as being in New Orleans with the Superdome and atthat time, they were playing a national schedule. They were playing Stanfordin California, Rutgers in New Jersey, Georgia Tech in Atlanta and Miami. Ialways wanted to be a major league baseball player and we were playing a major league schedule. I thought it was tremendous and ideal.”Matson lived in St. Charles Parish four years ago and had two childrenparticipate in the parish recreation program before the family moved to Baton Rouge. He would go on to become an executive analyst for a nationalmanagement consulting firm and regional manager for a roof product company.

But Matson missed sports and asked a friend who lived in St. Charles Parish,Ronnie Musacchia, if either of the local high schools had an opening for a baseball coach. Musacchia said no, but that the parish was looking for arecreation director. Matson applied for the job and was hired when ParishPresident Albert Laque came on board. He also knew he had quite an act tofollow in replacing Rusty Rebowe as recreation director.

“Rusty did a great job and it was big shoes to follow,” Matson said. “Comingin and seeing all the things he accomplished and I want to continue that.”Since becoming director in January, Matson said it has been a very busy but exciting time.

“It’s been fun to see some ideas come about that have been exciting,” Matson said.

Those ideas included a radio controlled speedway at the East Bank Bridge Park and a “Field of Dreams” T-ball field at the West Bank Bridge Park. Plansin the work include a BMX bicycle track and the development of the land adjacent to the West Bank Bridge Park. The first stage for that plan is a newparking lot along River Road followed by the expansion of the walking trail.

Matson also has a board in his office that shows the projects for each of the ballfields in the parish. He also has a wish list for each organization in theprogram. Four years from now, he would like to see a new complex adjacentto the West Bank Bridge Park and a recreation center housing basketball courts and offices.

Matson knows that it will take time for all the ideas to take place, noting that East Bank Bridge Park evolved over many years. He also knows that it willtake the support of many people to make it work.

Helping Matson through his first four months of the job has been a staff that he says really works well together.

“We all have specific duties but they overlap,” Matson said. “Everybody helpseverybody else out.

“The ultimate goal of a recreation department is to make as many people as you can happy,” Matson continued. “When you build a facility and see peopleenjoying it, that’s quite a reward.”

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