Cooper Road Community Unites to Launch Youth Baseball Team

By: Dee Dee Reese
Published July 20, 2025

Shreveport, LA - In a powerful display of grassroots community leadership, residents of the Cooper Road neighborhood have come together to launch a youth baseball team for children ages 7 to 13. With few school-based baseball opportunities available in the area, longtime resident Cordaro Lee and a group of friends decided to take action.

“We wanted to give the kids the opportunity to play baseball because there are few to no baseball teams in schools,” said Lee.

The team’s first practice and informal game took place at the David Raines Community Center, where families gathered with lawn chairs, gloves, and high spirits. Lee and fellow volunteers provided grilled food and treats for the kids, transforming the afternoon into a community celebration.

The effort goes beyond just the game. Lee emphasized that baseball is a way to train both the mind and body, promoting discipline, teamwork, and physical fitness. “It’s not just about sports,” he said. “It’s about giving our youth something positive to look forward to.”

While the event was a success, Lee and others noted that improvements are needed to make the field safer for regular play. “It would be better if David Raines had dirt instead of grass on the baseball field,” Lee said, citing the uneven surface as a concern for the young athletes.

Caddo Parish Commissioner Gregory Young attended the event to show support and listen to the needs of his constituents. “This is what community is all about,” said Young. “I found it incredibly gratifying to have an exchange with a concerned, intelligent young man about our community’s focus should be about in the now!”

The team is currently open to new players and volunteers, and the organizers hope to grow the program into a sustainable league. For now, they’re focused on building a foundation, one pitch, one practice, and one child at a time.