No rest once again over break

Sometimes, coaches have to get a little creative when it comes to spring sports.

Things like practicing in a gymnasium, or maybe shoveling off some grass to help the melting process along as they try to get on the field.

SO EVEN though most schools in the area were out for spring break last week, the Lakeland High baseball team headed south for the annual Buck’s Bags Spring Classic in the Boise area.

“It seems like every year we have kids going out of town on family vacations,” said Lakeland coach Jason Bradbury, who was missing two starters due to vacations. “It makes it really hard when that happens, and I feel sorry for the other kids and families that made the sacrifice to stay because of baseball.”

While other schools didn’t play, Lakeland got four games in, going 2-2 in the three-day tournament. The 4A Hawks beat 2017 state 3A champion Fruitland on the first day and lost to 5A Capital of Boise, which finished third at state last year.

“I think the tournament was very good for us, especially because we are so young,” Bradbury said. “I think it will be huge for them to see what the other teams are doing, and what the competition is all about. We treated the games as if it were a state tournament and tried to set our pitching rotation and pitch counts up the best we could to match that kind of format. We learned a lot, and I think it will definitely help us if we get the opportunity to go back down there.”

In the three team 4A Inland Empire League, only the regional champion advances to the state tournament, May 17-19 at Melaleuca Field in Idaho Falls.

“We have a lot of work to do until then,” Bradbury said. “The experience for those younger kids is invaluable though, and I think they are all better for it. We got closer as a team, saw good competition, competed well and had a great time.”

Bradbury added that he wanted to get the team into the Buck’s Bags tournament for the past 10 years, but couldn’t do it financially until this year.

“I was very happy our district allowed us to go down to Boise this year,” Bradbury said. “We were able to do that because of the levy that (Lakeland superintendent) Dr. (Becky) Meyer worked so hard to pass. I really appreciate all the patrons that came out and voted to approve that levy. It’s really made a difference for our schools and sports programs. I’ve wanted to go to this tournament every year, but up until now, our district hasn’t been able to have the funds to support it.”

Lakeland’s softball team also took part in the Sugar Town tournament in the Nampa area last weekend. The Hawks’ wrestling team has participated in the Sierra Nevada Classic in Reno the past two years.

MISSING OUT on a few days off isn’t new for Bradbury anyway.

“We also have to plan a field workday every year to get the field ready for the season,” Bradbury said. “The last few years, that workday has also been pushed back to spring break, whereas in other years, we’re able to do it at the beginning of the season. I just tell my teams and families that baseball players don’t get spring break, and that in the 20 years that I’ve been in the baseball program, even I have never been able to make vacation plans.”

We’ll see in a few weeks if all that hard work turns into another trip south for the program.

It won’t be much of a vacation, but by now, the players and coaches won’t mind.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at (208) 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at jelliott@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter @JECdAPress.