End of prep year turns spotlight on community

It’s the time of year when I find myself having to be a little more creative.

Yes, another year of high school sports is coming to a close. This Friday, Lakewood Ranch will play in its Spring Game, signaling the end of the high school sports seasons.

And so I, too, must shift my focus.

My story list will no longer be planned out months in advance.

My calendar will no longer have me bouncing back and forth between the three high schools multiple times a day.

Instead, it will be filled with Little League baseball, softball and soccer practices and games; youth swim meets and golf tournaments.

Quotes will probably be harder to come by and stories will begin to focus more on the East County’s younger athletes.

But that’s where the fun begins.

After all, it’ll give me a chance to get to know some of the East County’s rising stars.

In the next few months, I’ll be spending my evenings and Saturday mornings bouncing around the ballparks and fields, capturing all of the action and searching for story ideas.

And that’s where you come in. This is the time of year when I have the time and space to highlight some of the many talented athletes who play outside of the prep world. So, if you happen to know of a local player or team that is doing exceptionally well or has an interesting story to tell, please send those ideas along by email to [email protected].