They Get an Early Start on the Season : Preps: Summer basketball leagues and tournaments give players a chance to grow and teams to develop. Most area schools will play between 30 and 40 games.

SAN GABRIEL VALLEY —  San Gabriel Valley high schools are out for the summer, but that hardly means weeks of uninterrupted vacation for area basketball players.

For boys and girls teams at all levels, the bulk of the summer will be spent not at the beach, but in the gym. While some teams in Orange County play as many as 60 or 70 games in leagues and tournaments, most San Gabriel Valley schools play between 30 and 40. Others play as few as 15.

The method and philosophies vary, but the goal is the same: to prepare for the 1992-93 season.

“I use the summer as a means of trying to get my players to become students of the game,” said Edward Taylor, boys’ coach at Pomona. “I want them to become totally aware of the court from baseline to baseline.

“If you become a student of the game during the summer, the team will play better early in the season and progress faster to the point you want to be at for the playoffs.”

Pomona, which has won four consecutive league championships during the regular season under Taylor, is playing in one league this summer and will participate in seven or eight tournaments. The team will travel to San Diego, Ventura and South-Central Los Angeles for games.

“We want to become familiar with different styles of play, different officials and a different level of competitiveness,” Taylor said. “We don’t just do average things. We’ll stay for the weekend in Ventura, go to the beach together in Carlsbad and have meals together. Those things are important in addition to the games.”

Coaches use the summer to evaluate players. Some schools split their teams so they can play several games in a day at different locations.

“I have a very young team so the more they play, the better they get,” said Lyle Honda, who coaches the San Gabriel girls’ team. “My kids don’t really get to compete against a lot of the better quality teams during the regular season. So we’re at a disadvantage during the playoffs.

“The summer allows my players the chance to play against good teams with a lot of different styles.”

Quantity during the summer, however, does not always guarantee quality play during the regular season. With elite out-of-state all-star camps and tournaments also figuring into the mix, many high school basketball players will be playing nonstop from June until September.

Some coaches purposely keep their summer schedules to a minimum so players can take vacations with their families, participate in other activities and avoid burnout.

Paul Reed, who guided the South Hills girls’ team to a 25-4 record and second-place finish in the Southern Section 3-A Division last season, has scheduled only 15 games this summer.

“We’re kind of a small school and a lot of our players also play softball and volleyball,” said Reed, who has coached seven seasons. “With all that going on, we also want them to have a summer.

“I think sometimes when it comes to December and January, if you’ve been asking a lot of your kids during the summer, they may not have a lot left.”

Mike Gorball, girls’ varsity coach at Arroyo, also has a team full of athletes that also participate in volleyball, softball and track. Arroyo is playing host to a tournament this summer, but the Knights otherwise play only informal games against Los Altos and Walnut. Coaches and players referee because there is no entry fee to help pay officials.

“It works well for us because they (the players) play against good competition without the pressure of having to win,” Gorball said. “And with everything else that they have going on, this is the best they can do as far as a time commitment.

“No matter how many games you play in the summer, I think the goal should be to have some fun. If your players are improving and enjoying themselves, you’re doing things right.”