Minnesota weather offers many challenges for spring sports teams

Freezing temperatures and snow on the ground are not the ideal conditions for spring sports athletes and teams as they prepare to kick off their seasons. With the opening day for sports such as Track and Field, Baseball, softball, boys Tennis, and Lacrosse right around the corner many athletes are forced to find alternative ways to begin preparing for the season.

“We do everything we can to be prepared and sometimes have to be creative,” says senior baseball player Jack McDevitt. “We hit in garages or unfinished basements, and often go to other indoor hitting facilities and hit in batting cages.” Obviously this is not the same as taking cuts on the field, but it is what all teams around the state have to deal with.

But once the season actually starts not all teams are lucky enough to have large indoor facilities to practice in. Instead they are forced to practice in small gyms and other areas. “We are crammed in a small gym, and are very limited to what we can do. We have two batting cages which help, but being outdoors is the ideal way to go.” Not much can be accomplished when the playing field includes cement walls along the first baseline.

The Lacrosse team is more fortunate when it comes to preseason practicing. The team has been having captain’s practices inside the Rosemount Dome for the past couple of weeks. This gives the team a head start on the season as they get to actually play on a normal sized field. Unfortunately, once opening day arrives most of the practices take place in the Eastview High School gym. “Playing in a gym just really isn’t the same. It can be very frustrating because practice is always the same and we don’t get to go through our normal practice routine,” commented Brandon Hoshaw, a junior on the Lacrosse team.

As teams hit the wood floor rather than the green grass practices have to be altered in a variety of ways due to the lack of space. The gym in no way, shape or form can resemble any playing field. Simply put there are no ceilings on a baseball diamond or any three point lines on a Lacrosse field. “We basically can only work on our passing. The gym isn’t large enough to simulate the playing field," Hoshaw added.

Not only does the matchbox sized gym offer little space, it also has to be shared by all of the spring sports teams here at Eastview. “When the weather is bad, and we have to practice indoors, we have limited space, and limited time to practice. We (the baseball team) have to compete with boys and girls track, boys and girls lacrosse, softball, and lower level baseball teams as well,” said McDevitt.

The baseball team is lucky enough to escape from the gym over spring break as they will travel to Florida. In Florida they will have the opportunity to both practice outdoors and also compete against other teams around the country. “Since many spring sports are hindered because of the poor weather, it's a great opportunity for the baseball team to be able to travel to Florida over spring break. It's always nice to be able to play on an actual field and outdoors,” stated senior baseball player Cody Groskreutz.

Soon the gyms will be crawling with spring sports teams and athletes eagerly getting ready for their upcoming seasons, and all of them will be praying for better weather, and dreaming of the green grass and the warm sunlight.