A game changer
The Schreiber family meets Monday with head baseball coach Erik Karns as they check out the new Dave and Susan Schreiber Hitting Facility at Coeur d'Alene High School. The facility is expected to open for use next week. From left: Retired CHS English teacher Susan Schreiber, sons John and Dan Schreiber and Karns.
DEVIN WEEKS/Press
From left, Dan, Susan and John Schreiber pause for a photo Monday morning on the north side of the new Dave and Susan Schreiber Hitting Facility at Coeur d'Alene High School. John donated $200,000 to the baseball training building and named it for his mother and late father, who have contributed much of their time and talents to Coeur d'Alene High's academics and athletics through the years.
COEUR d'ALENE — Some of John Schreiber's fondest memories are from when he shoveled snow off McEuen Field in early spring so Coeur d'Alene High School's baseball season could start on time.
“Back in those days, we really didn’t have much in the way of offseason training facilities," the 1986 Coeur d'Alene High School graduate said Monday morning.
Schreiber, who now lives in California and Arizona, went on to play ball for the University of Washington and Stanford University. His late father, Dave Schreiber, was a coach, an active supporter of CHS athletics and a past president of the Viking Booster Club. His mom, Susan Schreiber, graduated from CHS in 1960 and taught English at the school from 1988 to 2002. His brother, Dan Schreiber, graduated in 1993 and sister Emily Schreiber-Sheets graduated in 1995.
The Schreiber legacy will continue at CHS, where John has donated $200,000 to help construct a new baseball practice building he named for his parents — the Dave and Susan Schreiber Hitting Facility.
"It’s great for me to see Mom and Dad’s name on it," he said. "Mom helped students develop here in her 14 years as a teacher, and Dad helped athletes through his volunteer work with the sports community in Coeur d’Alene."
The family visited the site Monday.
“Football was my sport," said Dan, of Coeur d'Alene. "I spent a lot of time out on the field so it will be cool to see the family name across the football field."
Susan shared her thoughts on the building being named for her and Dave, to whom she was married for 58 years before he passed away Dec. 24, 2021.
“I would have to feel very proud,” she said, a touch of emotion in her voice.
The total cost to build the facility was about $250,000, all paid for by John Schreiber and community members who support the baseball and softball programs. Several companies also provided their support to keep construction costs low. Baseball players conducted much of the labor. Turf and netting are expected to be installed in the next few days.
"There will be kids in here hitting next week,” said Erik Karns, head baseball coach at CHS.
Without this training facility, Karns said his freshmen baseball players usually pile into a truck driven by the one freshman with a driver's license and practice at the Canfield Sports Complex at Canfield Middle School.
"This is great. We’ll be able to run practices with all three teams year ’round with this facility," Karns said. "You’re talking about 80 kids now that are going to have the ability to practice on site."
John Schreiber said the new building could be a big step for the program.
"I was fortunate enough to get to play some baseball in college and got to see firsthand the difference that good facilities can make,” he said. "The goal is to produce more Vikings that can go on and have that college experience competitively.”
"The Schreiber facility, along with the 'Field of Dreams' project, represents the best of what our community is," Karns said.
