Some people might think that taking a group of teenage boys to Florida for spring break would be a recipe for disaster.
However, the North Bergen High School baseball team is looking at it as a chance of a lifetime, to face off against some of the best competition in the country, while getting the opportunity to play on some of the best facilities in the Sunshine State.
The team recently completed a year-long fund-raising effort that was capped by a $500 donation from Mayor Nicholas Sacco and the Board of Commissioners, presented at the latest regularly scheduled commissioners’ meeting to head coach Brian Boyce.
Boyce, in his second year as the head coach, thought that a trip to the Cocoa Beach Baseball Expo in Florida, the spring training site for the Florida Marlins, during Easter vacation would be the perfect experience for his young team.
“The team practically played together all summer and they talked about the possibility of going to Florida,” Boyce said. “Other North Bergen teams had done it, so they wanted to see if they could do it.”
Added Boyce, “We are hopeful that it will bring the team together and promote camaraderie. It’s a great facility and the competition there will be excellent for us. And everything is well-organized down there, so we’re guaranteed to get four games there, if the weather holds up. I think it’s going to be a positive experience for all of the kids.”
The trip didn’t come easy. First, Boyce had to present a proposal to the North Bergen Board of Education, in order to receive approval to go. Then, there were parental forms that needed to be signed. Each player had to sign a code of conduct contract with their parents present before they were approved to make the trip.
“There were a lot of steps involved to get it done,” Boyce said.
Then, there was the mammoth task of raising the money for the trip. Of course, the funds could not have come from the general athletic budget, so the players had to raise approximately $800 each in order to make the trip. The fund-raising efforts began last year with a candy sale. A pie-throwing contest was held at the annual Winterfest celebration, which also raised a few dollars. The players went to local outlets and stores, seeking donations. A pancake breakfast was held. T-shirts were sold. And the players had to sell advertisements for a team ad calendar.
“It was a lot of work,” Boyce said. “The kids really got into it and actually went out and helped each other to raise the money. If one kid raised more than the $800, then he was giving the money he raised to help his teammate make the quota. The town came through with a donation as well, which was very nice and generous. Mayor Sacco always takes care of the athletes.”
The team will leave this weekend, via bus, and two drivers will take the team straight through to Cocoa Beach. It is not known when the Bruins will be in action there, but they are expected to get as many as four games in during their stint.
In order to make the trip, the school’s athletic director, Randy Chave, had to work with North Bergen’s regular opponents, to reschedule games that were slated for Easter week. Games against Hudson Catholic and Union Hill were rescheduled in order to free up the Bruins for the journey south.
While the Bruins are in Florida, Boyce said that there will be very little time for sun and fun. It’s a trip designed purely for baseball.
“We may like to take in a minor league baseball game down there,” Boyce said. “There will be other team activities, but we’re not going down there for a vacation.”
Boyce said that he was proud that his team was able to act responsible enough to raise the necessary funds.
“Some of them had to work very hard to raise the money,” Boyce said. “But they did a fine job. I think it’s going to be great for us. It’s going to open the door for a lot of our players to scouts and college coaches down there, give them some exposure they might not get up here. I’ve already faxed some letters to college coaches that were interested in some of our players. It’s going to be a great trip.”
It will be even a better trip if the Bruins can come home with a few victories as well.