SF Chronicle: Spring ball safer than spring break?

After his players returned from spring break to resume spring practice Tuesday, Cal coach Jeff Tedford noted wryly that some of the young men were more injured than when they left.  Specifically, one player returned with a concussion from snowboarding and another limped home from a beach-volleyball injury. One player managed to escape injury while surfing on Hawaii's North Shore.  With the first game more than five months away, Tedford could afford to be amused rather than concerned about the pitfalls of college students on spring break. With only four practices held before the break, the players are Tedford's now until the final spring practice April 22. By the time they're done, the Bears will have had 15 practices over six weeks, including eight days in full pads and scrimmages on April 10 and 17. "I'd prefer to be spread out because it gives you more time," Tedford said. "You have 34 days (in spring) to spend with the kids. It gives you more time to spend with them. It lets you recover and heal. There've been times when we concentrated (spring practice) and we'd get more injuries and have to adjust practice."

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