More Park Info

Coquille Parks & Recreation started with a group of dedicated volunteers who envisioned the children of the community playing baseball, softball, basketball, soccer and football all in one location.

Joseph Koepp, Jr. was one of the dedicated volunteers that worked the hardest.  He was an original member of the Madisonville Men’s Civic Club, the organization that started youth sports in Madisonville.  The Madisonville Men’s Civic Club was formed by a group of men, who built a ball field for the children of the surrounding area on Main Street and Pine Street in 1960. 

Joseph Koepp, Jr. along with a few other men, made things happen for Madisonville.  They passed the torch and it is up to today’s parents to keep it going.  From the Madisonville Men’s Civic Club came the Madisonville Youth Boosters in 1984.  The Madisonville Youth Boosters is a volunteer organization formed to foster recreational sports competition while providing a safe and enjoyable environment for the children of the surrounding area.

In 1989, volunteers built two baseball fields on Pine Street, which was previously swamp land.  Due to the rapid growth of recreational sports in the 1990’s, makeshift fields were added on Mable Drive, near the Maritime Museum.  Makeshift practice fields were placed on vacant lots throughout the area.  It became obvious that there was a need for someone to help develop a recreation district for the surrounding community.  Thus Recreation District #14 was created and the Parish appointed a Board in 1999.

Recreation District #14 is a publicly financed district that was created to serve citizens living within the district.  Recreation District #14 is the area roughly bordered by Lake Ponchartrain to the South, Covington to the North, the Tchefuncte River to the East and Tangipahoa Parish to the West.

The Recreation Board was appointed by Parish President Kevin Davis and District Councilmen Floyd Glass.  The board was made up of the seven following individuals: Patricia Dedon, Stephen Dwyer, Tim Hymel, Paul Lea, Wayne Morlier, Lloyd Ostendorf, Jr. and Jean Pelloat.

The Recreation District was approved by district #14 voters in July 1999 when they passed a $1.8 million bond issue to build the facility.  An additional 10-year, 5-mill property tax was also passed to operate and maintain the site.  Since then, the millages have been rolled back.

In 1999, Recreation District #14 bought a 46-acre site located on Louisiana 1085 just North of Interstate 12.  The land purchased previously held crawfish ponds and would soon become a multisport facility that was long overdue.  The site would become the home for dozens of youth league teams playing various sports. 

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on September 8, 2001.  Several West St. Tammany politicians and Parish officials joined members of the District’s Board of Directors and friends to celebrate the work that had been envisioned so many years before.  Joseph Koepp, Jr. also attended the festivities and he was praised and honored for his many years of hard work and dedication to our youth.  The ceremony was an exciting event for all that attended and was just the beginning of new things yet to come.

The original park plans included three baseball fields, three softball fields, a football/soccer field and a gymnasium.  The facility, with the exception of the football/soccer field, was all lighted.  Two concession stands, batting cages, restrooms and parking areas were also included in the plans.  In addition to the ball fields, a picnic area and walking trail was included which would be built at a later time.

The new park needed a name.  The Recreation Board had a naming contest that was open to the public.  The Board received a lot of submissions and they reviewed all of them.  Patricia Glass submitted the name “Coquille Sports Complex”.  “Coquille” is an Indian name that means “abundance of shells”.  The name referred to the numerous clam shells that were located in Madisonville and along Lake Ponchartrain.  Coquille Sports Complex was chosen as the name of the new park.

The gymnasium was the first completed project in the Fall of 2002.  The baseball, softball, football/soccer fields were all completed in the Spring of 2003.  The opening ceremonies took place on the new baseball fields in April of 2003.  During the event, the widow and daughter of Joseph Koepp, Jr. were presented a plaque for Mr. Joe’s long history of volunteer work for the youth of the Madisonville area.  The road entering the park was dedicated and named “Joseph Koepp Boulevard” in his honor.

Coquille Sports Complex continued to expand with the addition of another gymnasium in 2005 and two additional baseball fields and one soccer field in 2006.  In 2007, lights and a concession stand were added for the new fields.

Today, Coquille Parks & Recreation has approximately 1,000 youth participating in the programs offered at the facility.  Coquille offers the following sports: baseball, softball, t-ball, basketball, soccer, football and cheerleading.  All of the programs are managed by volunteers of the Madisonville Youth Boosters.  Due to the recent growth of the programs we have outgrown our facilities.  Currently, a master plan is being developed for the proposed expansion of the park and the additional 88 acres that was purchased in 2007.  This expansion will include the completion of the picnic area and walking trail that was part of the original plans.  It will also include additional fields and a pond, among many other features that will be decided by public input as we move forward.