A successful partnership between the City of Zachary and the Zachary Community School System unveiled a new $100,000 softball facility featuring lockers and dressing rooms for the Zachary High School Lady Bronco softball team on Thursday, Feb. 23.

"Talks began in Jan. 2011 with a plan to build the girls a home," said Scott Devillier, operations director for the school district. "The partnership's been good. This facility gives the girls part of what they need to be successful."

Mayor David Amrhein credited the departments of Zachary's Public Works/Utilities, Parks and Recreation and the school district's maintenance office for building a structurally sound facility. "This is a beautiful building that will be here for many years to come," Amrhein said.

"We are honored to have this beautiful new facility," said Leslie Efferson, Lady Bronco head softball coach. "The first moment the girls walked into the locker room, they became excited, and they've remained so ever since."

Efferson said prior to their new locker room, the girls would change for practices or games, sometimes very quickly, in various bathrooms at the school or at the park.

Shane Hebert, ZYP director, echoed the sentiments of Amrhein and Efferson when he said the new building was a "total team effort between the two partners."

"I commend all the staffs of the various departments who made this building a reality," Hebert said. "The project goes deeper than the relationship between these Zachary entities, it's about community effort."

Efferson said the ZHS Lady Broncos have a somewhat difficult season ahead of them.

"We've got a really tough schedule and a young team with only two seniors on the roster," she said. "But it's a great opportunity to play teams from up state. The schedule presents a challenge, and the girls will have to work really hard, but I believe it will be a great experience for this team to have to play some tough opponents. It can only make them better players."