Three days with the AquaSox

Every summer my friends and acquaintances ask me different versions of the same basic question: “So, what the heck are you writing about?”

It’s a good question after all, since my job is to write about high school sports. Prep student-athletes, of course, are on vacation all summer, which means my workload drops off considerably. In that sense, my schedule is similar to that of a teacher: I am able to take quite a bit of time off in June and July.

But I still stay pretty busy reporting on coaching changes, college recruiting updates, follow-up features on recent graduates, big-picture trend stories and fall season previews. Plus, the annual East-West All-Star Football Game keeps me occupied for a full week, when it takes place in Everett.

And since my job is so flexible in the summer, it allows me to fill in for other Herald sportswriters who take time off. For instance, last night I finished up a three-game stint writing about the AquaSox baseball team. It’s always a little tricky jumping in to cover a team in the middle of a season, but I had a great time with the Frogs on Monday, Tuesday (notes) and Wednesday (notes).

Even though the AquaSox are pros, many of them aren’t that much older than a lot of the high school athletes I interview during the school year. It’s easy to forget that these potential future Mariners are still so young. I was extremely impressed by several Frogs standouts, including Matt Cerione, James Jones and Mario Martinez. It will be fun to monitor their progress and see where they end up in a few years.

A few more quick thoughts:

*The massive new Aquavision video board is an excellent addition at Everett Memorial Stadium. The board debuted Monday and fans seem to love it.

*AquaSox manager John Tamargo is a cool guy. Over the past three days, he made me feel welcome in the clubhouse. Unlike some coaches I have dealt with, Tamargo was very approachable, relaxed and funny.