LAPLACE — Several times throughout his team’s stellar run this season to the Class 2A state final, St. Charles Catholic baseball coach Wayne Stein often referred back to his team’s performance during last summer’s American Legion season.

St. Charles, playing under the sponsor name Townsend Homes, had its best season in school history, not only advancing to the American Southeast Louisiana Regional Tournament, but winning it to advance to its first State Tournament.

Even though it was nearly 10 months later when the Comets finished as the state runner-up, Stein said the lessons learned in the heat of June and July carried over.

“I think it helped us,” Stein said. “The whole thing about American Legion is supposed to be getting ready for your next season.”

So even with the sting of that loss still burning, Stein already was looking forward to next year — starting next week.

“I lost 12 seniors and I have five starters returning,” Stein said. “I have some holes to fill. Legion is all about finding out who can play.”

American Legion baseball has been in existence for nearly 100 years, originating as a way for rural posts to help foster the development of local youths through athletics.

The first league held play in 1926 in 15 states. According to the league’s web site, today there are more than 4,000 teams in all 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico, incorporating nearly 72,000 youths ages 15 to 19. The League claims nearly 60 percent of current college players at one time played American Legion baseball.

Those numbers have certainly waxed and waned over the decades, nationally as well as locally. Longtime River Parishes residents likely remember games between Colonial Sugars and Fatty’s, Otto Candies and Post 366/195.

New Orleans die-hard fans certainly know the names Retif Oil and Ponstein’s. True fans can remember the days when such games would draw huge crowds.

Over the years some of those names have faded into history. Other teams have popped up.

River Parishes fans should keep an eye on a new American Legion team that goes by the name of Pedal Valves, which will feature players from the area who have graduated.

Many coaches have become tired of the hassle of fielding a Legion team and playing a full schedule of 20 or more games.

While battling summer heat, a lack of lighted fields and almost daily afternoon thunderstorms, a winning team can continue playing through to August.

This year’s Mid-South Regional Tournament is scheduled for Aug. 3-7 in Arkansas. The World Series is scheduled for Aug. 11-17 in North Carolina.

Both would be tough trips for athletes who also play football.

With those things in mind, Riverside Academy coach Frank Cazeaux dropped his team from the local American Legion roster. Instead, Cazeaux will take the players who are expected to make up next year’s prep team to compete independently in a newly formed league made up mostly of teams from the Northshore. The team will play 16 games, eight at home and eight away.

Cazeaux said it’s a better way for his players, many of whom are dual and even triple sport athletes, to spend their summers.

“A lot of our kids play football, too,” Cazeaux said. “July comes and they’re ready to go get ready for football. Baseball, you’re done in June and then you don’t play again until February.

“Summer ball is just a way for us to try out a bunch of kids at different positions. We want to see what they can do.”

East St. John coach Jade Falgoust remembers playing American Legion ball as a student at Riverside Academy and knows all the benefits it brings to a young player.

“I just remember it being the first time you’re playing at the next level, the first time you’re a sophomore or a junior,” Falgoust said. “The first time you’re playing as a senior and you’re saying, ‘Now I have to be there for everybody.’”

Falgoust also knows the struggle of trying to get in a full American Legion schedule in between summer thunderstorms and before football starts up.

So rather than playing a full Legion schedule, Falgoust is going to take his players on the road to play anyone who wants a game or a scrimmage. He already is planning to play teams such as St. Amant, Karr, E.D. White and East Jefferson.

“It’s real informal,” he said. “We’ll have one umpire and, if you want to stop in the middle of a game to talk about things, you can.”

West St. John coach Greg Joseph was hoping to get his up-and-coming players into a St. John Recreation League, but the numbers aren’t there, he said.

He plans to spend his Saturdays working with his players on skills and hopes to pick up a scrimmage or two here and there.

“You only get better by playing,” he said.