The spring sports season is in full swing.
However, if you blink you may very well miss it. I encourage high school sports fans to check out the spring sports over the next two months before it’s all over in a hurry.
There is no doubt that it’s a sprint from now until the state baseball tournament wraps up May 28. Baseball, girls golf, boys and girls lacrosse, girls soccer, boys swimming, boys and girls track, and girls tennis get the short end of the stick when it comes to prep sports. Short season and crummy unpredictable weather are the major factors spring teams deal with every single year.
Official practices began Feb. 29, and first official games started for most sports March 10. Regular season pretty much wraps up by the end of April with the postseason ending before June. Of course, everything is “weather pending” when it comes to spring prep sports in Colorado.
Personally, I should have hitched a ride with one of the several baseball teams that spent spring break in Arizona or Florida last week. Those teams had the right idea heading to warmer climate to avoid the blizzard most of Colorado experienced March 23. A lot of baseball teams play more than half of their non-league schedule out of state these days, probably not a bad idea.
Once baseball conference play begins — April 9 (5A Jeffco) and April 16 (4A Jeffco) — it could very well be a flurry of back-to-back games if the weather doesn’t cooperate and league game have to get postponed, rescheduled, postponed and rescheduled again.
Hopefully last week’s snowstorm is the last big one we get this spring. It would be nice to keep the snowplows off athletic fields.
I salute those student-athletes and fans who battle the spring weather. Bundling up in the stands during track meets and taking covering during a lightning delay are simply hazards of prep sports this time of year in Colorado.
When the sun is out and the fields aren’t snow covered, get out to check out the action.