Spring Lake High School Athletic Hall of Fame

During 1961, the citizens of Spring Lake and the citizens of Fruitport were faced with a decision regarding their respective school districts. For years when local students from Spring Lake became ready for high school, they attended Grand Haven Public Schools for the completion of their high school education. Some students from Fruitport also elected to attend various Muskegon County high schools, as well as Grand Haven.

People in Spring Lake were split between continuing to go to Grand haven or building their own high school system. Issues were local financing considerations, an expanded curriculum available at the larger school in Grand Haven, the increased availability of extracurricular activities offered to students at a smaller school, and the problems of transportation.

However, the seemingly most important item at that time for our local residents was the Sprin Lake spirit and civic pride in having their own school system. During the winter of 1962 the vote was held and the results exhibited strong “Laker” feelings to “go it alone” and build its own high school program.

The plan was to grow one year at a time resulting in a sophomore class in 1962-63, a junior class in 1964-64, and a senior class in 1964-65. Our first graduation class was in 1965. Sports programs were football, basketball, and baseball. As the early years passed, tennis, wrestling, track, and golf were added - but all the sports were for boys only. Years later, soccer and swimming were added to the program. Today the school sponsors 26 sports teams for both boys and girls.

Football was practiced on a bumpy unmarked field behind the junior high school - filled with dirt, weeds, sand prickers, etc. Basketball was played on a short floor where the over and back line was near the opponents free throw line. The baseball facilities were no better - but that was the start of the Laker sports program. Schedules were with Fruitport, Mona Shores (who started like Spring Lake), Pentwater, Hamilton, ludington St. Simons and the JV teams from the area high schools.

Written by George DeVries 

Athletic Director and Coach, 1961-1974, Spring Lake Public Schools