LSU gymnastics head coach D-D Breaux looks on as one of her gymnasts practices. Photos by Stephanie Landry
There’s more to LSU sports than football, basketball and baseball. The school’s ‘other’ sports are easy to get to and wildly affordable
After a long and painful summer hiatus, football is back, to the delight of the more than 90,000 spectators who pour into Tiger Stadium during each home game. When that’s over, most fans will turn their attention to LSU basketball, and then to the boys of summer as they take to the field at Alex Box Stadium. These are unquestionably LSU’s dominant sports—the big draws, the ticket sellers and the moneymakers.
But there’s more.
As far as weekend activities go, the university’s 18 sports beyond the “big three” are among the Capital Region’s best-kept secrets, each with its own dramatic moments, impressive athletes and classic rivalries. They’re often much easier to access than football, basketball or baseball, and many are free to attend.
The public has started to feel more enthusiasm for these sports, too.
For the first time in the history of LSU gymnastics, attendance broke 10,000 twice this past season, including a high of 13,179 patrons during a meet against the University of Minnesota on March 6.
LSU gymnastics head coach D-D Breaux talks to some of her gymnasts.
Moreover, attending a soccer or softball game, a tennis match or a track and field meet can really mean something to a young person who wants to excel in those sports, says LSU Associate Sports Information Director Jake Terry.
“Everybody looks forward to a Saturday night in Tiger Stadium, but LSU Athletics offers sports that are filled with hardworking student athletes who serve as great role models for local youth,” Terry says. “We encourage people to come out and take advantage of these opportunities.”
Terry says that many of these sports, sometimes referred to as Olympic sports or nonprofit sports, have put up some impressive national results. Last year, the men’s track team finished fourth in the nation and claimed three individual titles. The LSU men’s golf team won the national title and the women’s softball team finished third in the nation, ranking No. 1 for a few weeks during the season. The 2013-2014 Lady Tigers basketball team made it to the NCAA tournament. And the 2015 Lady Tigers gymnastics team saw their best regular season record in the program’s history, achieving a 7-0 regular season record against SEC opponents and a 13-1 record overall under 37-year head coach D-D Breaux.
That success has helped the gymnastics team gain a following and those increasingly high attendance numbers at matches.
“I’ve spent my entire career selling the community on gymnastics,” says Breaux, whose teams have claimed 10 NCAA individual titles, 4 Super Six finals appearances, 25 NCAA Championships appearances and 154 All-American honors. “You don’t have to understand gymnastics to enjoy the athleticism and the aesthetics of the sport. But once you come, you become part of that excitement. When the crowds come, it’s very exhilarating for the athletes.”
The LSU gymnastics team competes in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. This year, the Lady Tigers are getting a new practice facility next door. It should be completed in early fall, and Breaux says the public is invited to observe exhibition practices from the second floor.
Gymnastics isn’t the only athletic program to see facilities improvements that make it easier for spectators to enjoy attending events. The LSU softball and soccer teams both play in state-of-the-art facilities completed in the past few years. The track facility has been improved, as has the Natatorium, where the swimming and diving teams compete. A new tennis center, now nearing completion, will soon feature 12 outdoor courts—and for the first time, six indoor courts.
“This is a great step for LSU tennis, and it will make it much more enjoyable for the public,” Terry says.
LSU swimming coach Dave Geyer walks along the pool during a swimming practice.
LSU swimming head coach Dave Geyer says the university’s Olympic sports will soon get a natural boost from the forthcoming 2016 Summer Olympics.
“Swimming is spotlighted every four years. People see someone like Michael Phelps setting records, and they get excited,” Geyer says. “After the Olympics, we see youth participation increase in the sport by 15 to 20 percent.”
Young swimmers from around the region can get inspired from watching the LSU swim team, adds Geyer. LSU swimming and diving meets are free and the season begins in October and runs through January.
Geyer says the rivalries in swimming run as deep as they do in higher-profile sports. The season opener for the women’s team is against classic instate rival Tulane University. And one of the greatest rivalries of the season for both the men and women is—no surprise—Alabama.
Terry adds that many young people are in the habit of coming to campus in the summer to attend sports camps in their areas of interest. Taking it one step further and becoming spectators adds another dimension to a Baton Rouge family’s relationship with LSU and the sport.
“Across the board, we have so many sports and fun events, and we just ask that families keep us in mind,” Terry says. “Come out for a couple of hours and watch some sports. It’s an opportunity to support hardworking athletes, and if you have a kid who plays that sport, it’s a chance to inspire a child.”
For details about all LSU Sports, including schedules, visit lsusports.net.
