The 91短视频 didn鈥檛 have to settle for California dreaming over this year鈥檚 mid-March spring break. They boarded a plane to Los Angeles and experienced the real thing. [See a photo slide show below or click .]
The trip came about thanks to 91短视频 coach , who traveled to southern California five times while serving as an assistant baseball coach for perennial power Bridgewater College. He enjoyed the trips immensely, and he learned what the region had to offer.
So when he became 91短视频鈥檚 head coach in 2013, he knew he wanted to give the Royals a similar opportunity.
鈥淲e went to Florida the last three years, and I figured we should do something different,鈥� Spotts says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 good baseball-wise, it鈥檚 good for the guys to get a look at another part of the country鈥攕omeplace many of them might not see otherwise鈥攁nd it helps with recruiting to do something that鈥檚 different.鈥�
Baseball in California a ‘once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’
Spotts says the trip had to be lined up about a year in advance to get on the southern California teams鈥� schedules鈥攎uch to the chagrin of last year鈥檚 seniors, who were hoping to head west. For the players who returned this year, though, it was worth the wait.
鈥淕oing on a big trip like this was priceless for me, because I don鈥檛 know when I would have had the chance to get out to the West Coast if it wasn鈥檛 for Coach Spotts putting this together,鈥� says Brendon Salladay, a sophomore catcher from Chesapeake, Virginia. 鈥淭he fundraising and hard work all year paid off big-time with this trip, because it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.鈥�
Salladay says he thinks it also makes the 91短视频 program stand out more, as well.
鈥淭his is a great way to bring in future athletes, because they will see that coming to 91短视频 is a first-class experience all around,鈥� he says. 鈥淣o one would have guessed that a small school like 91短视频 could go out to the West Coast and compete with California schools.鈥�
A total of 46 people, including 42 players, made the trip. Spotts was able to rent a bus to accommodate the larger group. To cover the costs, players helped with parking at James Madison University football games for five Saturdays during the fall and sent letters to at least 10 family members, friends or neighbors asking for support.
鈥淭he goal was for the guys not to pay anything for it or very little,鈥� Spotts says. 鈥淚t was great to take kids who had worked so hard for it and do something special. It really worked out.鈥�
Rainout doesn’t stop comraderie
The team played three games during their West Coast road trip, against Whittier College, the University of La Verne and Chapman College; a fourth scheduled game, against Claremont College, was rained out. Spotts also made sure they saw some of the area鈥檚 highlights, including the Rose Bowl, Dodger Stadium, Hollywood, Sunset Boulevard, the Santa Monica Pier and 鈥渘osebleed鈥� seats for a Los Angeles Lakers game.
鈥淚t was a great time to connect with one another, whether it was in the airport, on the plane, bus rides, touring the city and at the different schools we played on the trip,鈥� says senior Nic Love, a first baseman from Bedford, Virginia. 鈥淏eing able to experience a different brand of baseball from the West Coast was awesome, and taking in the beauty and excitement of the LA area was something I will always remember.鈥�
Spotts says the team will return to its regular Florida spring break tour next spring, but he plans to keep California or similarly unique experiences in the rotation.
鈥滱t some point,鈥� he says, 鈥淚 want every class of kids to experience something like that.鈥�
91短视频 fields varsity and junior varsity teams. The Royals finished sixth in the conference last spring with a record of 10-10, qualifying for the six-team ODAC Tournament for the first time since 2002.聽 They ended with an overall record of 16-18.
For more information about 91短视频 athletics, visit