Think of our eyes when designing uniforms

After trying to figure out who ran the ball on that last play, or who caught that pass over by the far sideline during last week’s Coeur d’Alene-Lake City football game, I thought I might have to schedule an appointment with an optometrist.

Coeur d’Alene, the visiting team, wore its white road jerseys. But instead of having dark-colored numbers as a contrast, the Vikings have silver numbers, albeit outlined in black.

Pretty cool-looking jerseys, but hard to read with the naked (and 60-year-old) eye.

And the farther away they were, the numbers all started to look the same.

Oh, wait, one guy had a towel hanging out the back of his pants. OK, I know who that is.

Oh, darn — another kid also has a towel hanging out.

Another kid’s knees were mostly visible — not covered up by socks or pants. I knew who that was.

I think.

Lake City had similar-looking uniforms a few years back. But, if I remember right, there was only about three people who touched the ball much on that team, so that made it easier to figure out who had the ball.

SEVERAL YEARS ago, when Coeur d’Alene played Madison in the state 5A football title game at Holt Arena in Pocatello, Madison wore some color combination where it was nearly impossible to read the numbers. Fortunately one of the sports writers in southeast Idaho had covered the Bobcats before, and thought they had a pretty good idea who was who.

We hoped.

Last year, the Post Falls boys basketball team trotted out some snazzy new home uniforms. However, the numbers were also white — set off by a gray outline.

Good luck figuring out who was who, especially early in the season.

That’s because most of last year’s Trojan players were new to the varsity, so it took awhile to find a way to distinguish one player from another.

The two years previous to last year, Post Falls used basically the same players for those two years, so they almost didn’t need numbers by the end of their run.

Perhaps all uniforms should have to be submitted to the “jersey police”, who would determine if the numbers were of the proper contrast to the jersey, and readable from far away.

I covered a game recently where Coeur d’Alene’s girls soccer team wore black jerseys with blue numbers — and no contrasting outline.

And then there’s some soccer teams who don’t have numbers on the front of their jerseys at all.

Argh!

AN OUTSTANDING performance in a recent junior varsity football game was brought to our attention.

Alex Walker scored seven touchdowns — four rushing TDs, one receiving TD, plus an interception return and punt return for a touchdown — in Coeur d’Alene’s 64-14 victory over Lake City last week.

Walker averaged 16 yards per carry and 11.5 yards per reception — playing in just over one half of the game, as much of the second half was played with a running clock.

“Alex is a remarkable kid and part of a real special team and sophomore class,” Coeur d’Alene JV coach Colin Donovan said. “I really enjoy Alex and this class and am confident that with hard work, good things will continue to happen for this group.”

SOCCER REFEREES are usually seen and not heard.

But one of them felt compelled to contact us after working a high school boys soccer game recently.

“I just want to recognize the Lake City High School boys at the soccer game today,” Dan Rice wrote last week. “I referee games and they have grown all season. I was at the Post Falls vs. LCHS game last week (as assistant referee), and it was one of the most beautiful games I have seen in 25 years at a high school. ... They were in a groove, playing almost perfect.”

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter@CdAPressSports.