Staying ahead of the game

• By ROBIN FAMBROUGH
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Jun 28, 2009 - Page: 12C

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By ROBIN FAMBROUGH
Advocate sportswriter
Belaire High School boys basketball coach Michael Banks says his colleagues could debate the merits of organized summer programs for hours.

Regardless of their point of view, the coaches agree on one thing — organized summer programs for high school team sports are here to stay. And the trend is growing.

“A summer league is one way to keep your kids busy and away from other things,” Banks said. “I know some teams in our league, like Denham Springs, really improved during the games we played. You could see that team, and several others get better right before your eyes.

“But then the other part of it is that everybody is looking to stay a step ahead of the competition. Nobody wants to fall behind.”

Banks finished hosting the 11-team Belaire Summer Basketball League on Thursday. Teams as diverse as Class 1A semifinalist Christian Life Academy to Class 5A Scotlandville met on equal footing, playing games twice a week for more than a month.

Redemptorist also hosts a traditional boys basketball summer league. Episcopal hosted a girls basketball league that concluded its schedule just over a week ago.

While the school-based summer basketball leagues are not new, the oldest sport with a summer team component is baseball.

As soon as school wrapped up, locally based school baseball teams began playing in the Quad Parish League with levels for prospective varsity and junior varsity players to test their mettle.

The 21-game Quad Parish season ends July 2. The coaches do not keep track of standings. There is no playoff for a champion, either.

“I tell my guys the summer time for me is about seeing what they can do individually,” Dutchtown baseball coach Chris Schexnaydre said. “It’s not so much about winning games, and I think it’s that way for most coaches.

“You have some guys who play for their high school teams in the Quad Parish League during the week and then they play for a travel team on weekends.

“My guys who play American Legion ball and travel don’t play with us. I know what they can do. I want to see what the other guys can do in game situations. It gives me an idea what to expect next year.”

Denham Springs coach Mark Carroll said the summer games offer experience both on and off the field.