Coaches know it's coming. Plans are in place before the year starts. Still, if you're a spring coach for any of the sports, you're probably holding your breath and crossing your fingers.
Spring break is upon. It's not like fall break where there is little disruption - or it's not allowed, or the Christmas holidays, where league play hasn't begun.
For some reason, commitment is at times ignored in the spring as some athletes vanish for a week for a family vacation. It's not always their choosing. But....
Schedules are often altered in advance as coaches attempt to avoid league games, choosing instead to go the tournament or invitational route.
Now for teams that might be struggling, a little time off might be a good thing. Or some athletes just won't come back.
Yet, for most programs, this puts them in a holding pattern. If you are a track or swimming coach, a week off from workouts can set an athlete back weeks.
After two full months of grinding, the rhythm of a season is disrupted for the stretch run. Hey in five weeks most programs will be turning in uniforms. We're rounding the final turn.
Spring break doesn't occur at the same time for a lot of schools in Monterey County, creating more headaches that can stretch out two plus weeks.
Can you imagine football season taking a week off during fall break? No. So it shouldn't occur in the spring as well.
Seven baseball teams in the Mission Trail Athletic League are separated by two games. Five teams are within a game of each other in the Pacific.
Now is not the time to erase the momentum generated. It's April, a time of the year where track and swimming athletes begin to see their marks drop.
No doubt, a couple extra days to recharge the batteries won't hurt. But when athletes are absent for a stretch, it can't be good for chemistry for those that dedicated themselves to the team.
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