08/16/2026
I was really happy to see this.
When I moved back to Lafayette after chiropractic school, someone gave me a simple piece of advice: get involved in the community. So I called the Lafayette Youth Soccer Association and volunteered to coach a team.
Ma D answered the phone.
I hadn’t seen or spoken to her since I was a kid, but somehow, she still remembered me. She set me up with a ragtag group of 8 and 9 year old boys, and for the next two years, we proceeded to lose just about every game we played.
Looking back, I think I probably learned as much during those practices and games as the kids did.
Growing up, I worked hard at the things I did, and I became pretty good at a lot of them, largely because I absolutely despised losing. Coaching those boys taught me that there was a lot more to sports than winning. It was about showing up, being patient, encouraging kids when things weren’t going well, and finding reasons to keep coming back even when the scoreboard never seemed to cooperate.
And Ma D was the perfect person to learn that from. She cared about the kids, the game, and the people around her in a way that was impossible to miss.
I feel incredibly blessed that I got to know her twice in my life, first as a kid and then again as an adult. She was truly one of my favorite people, and I’m grateful for the lessons, the memories, and the small part she played in shaping the person I became.
I can’t think of a more fitting tribute than having those fields carry her name.
⚽️ Come celebrate a Lafayette soccer legend.
On Wednesday, August 19, Lafayette Consolidated Government and Lafayette Parks, Arts, Recreation, & Culture - PARC will dedicate the Deanna Bostick/LYSA Moore Park Soccer Complex in honor of a woman whose passion for soccer helped shape generations of players and families in Lafayette.
Known affectionately as “Ma D,” Deanna was a familiar face on the sidelines at Moore Park and a pioneering force in bringing soccer to our region.
📅 Wednesday, August 19 | 9:30 a.m.
📍 Moore Park (200 Sonny Roy Ln. - enter via University Ave.)
Join us as we remember Deanna’s life, celebrate her contributions to Lafayette soccer and dedicate the fields where so many memories were made in her honor.
Louisiana Krewe Rush