With the most recent school year now stashed away in memory, we offer a bit of advice to athletes pondering their senior load. As in, should they add to their participation repertoire?

By all means, broaden yourselves.

Exhibit 1: Jake Rodriguez. He was a prolific varsity tailback as a sophomore for Elk Grove High School in 2007. He hasn't reached for the shoulder pads since, fearful his promising baseball career – the man should get drafted next spring as a do-all marvel – would suffer. He has a scholarship to Oregon State as a security blanket, so why not play football as a senior this fall for the experience, the camaraderie? Every year, I run into former prep athletes whose biggest teenage regret was not playing more than one sport.

"I'm not sure what I'll do," Rodriguez said.

It's this simple: If not now, then never. Colleges won't let you play two.

"Playing more than one sport gives you great balance and memories," said Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, a basketball and baseball star at Sacramento High a generation ago. "I know what it did for me. Play as many sports as you can while you can."

Lucia, over and out – Frank Lucia embraced a challenge. Teaching biology. Coaching baseball. Athletic director. Vice principal. But it was his ability to lead a school as principal that made Lucia so special. Now, after 35 years in the Elk Grove Unified School District, retirement includes supervising pumpkins for competitions, enjoying watching them grow to the size of a deep freezer.

Back to his real legacy. It was no coincidence that during Lucia's adminstrative turns at three schools, each basked in a championship glow. He understood that athletic success does wonders for school morale. He could speak the language of a coach who was saddled by budget constraints and burdened by pushy parents. He was an expert in hiring athletic directors and helping find the right coaches. At Valley, the Vikings fielded their finest football teams in the mid-1990s and were solid across the board in all things athletic. Same with his Elk Grove run. At Pleasant Grove in recent years, Lucia was hands-on as the school came of age academically and athletically in a hurry (the Eagles won the City Championship in football and the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I softball title this past year).

SPDL finales – It's the final week of the Sacramento Professional Developmental League at Capital Christian, where the basketball talent is abundant (7 p.m. starts today through Thursday). Those who have played this month include Kevin Martin, Donté Greene, Bobby Jackson and Jason Thompson of the Kings and local stars Matt Barnes, Phil Ricci, Aaron Garner, Mareceo Rutledge, Tony Johnson and Kyle Odister. For information: www.tothehoop.com.

Around the region – Brad Gunter Jr. of Valley Christian Academy has been named the State Small School Baseball Coach of the Year by Cal-Hi Sports, a fitting honor for a man whose program has won 12 consecutive league titles and back-to-back section titles.

• Lonie Paxton of Sacramento State – he of snow-angel fame for the New England Patriots during earlier Super Bowl runs – was in town Saturday as Boost Mobile presented him with a $5,000 donation to his Active Force Foundation, an organization to support physically challenged athletes. Paxton, a long-snapping expert, now plays for the Denver Broncos.

• Hawaii third baseman Vinnie Catricala of Jesuit has signed with the Seattle Mariners, who drafted him in the 10th round.

Call The Bee's Joe Davidson, (916) 321-1280.