The spring sports season is quickly approaching, and athletes are preparing for a busy season.
“The spring sports season started March 2 and usually goes through the first week in June,” said athletic director Tina Woolard.
Spring sports draw a large crowd, due to the amount of sports that are open to students.
“There are around 600 athletes that come out for the spring sport season,” said activities director and varsity softball coach, Molly Tomlinson.
The coaches say that joining a spring sport is a great way to get involved.
“I think the best part about it is having so many kids,” Woolard said.
The coaches want to give all kids a chance to be on a team.
“Get involved! Come out, try out, give yourself a chance,” said assistant athletic director Adam DeCaluwe.
There are many different ways that teams prepare, each one unique to their specific sport.
“Everyone starts practicing March 2,” Woolard said.
There is also off-season training and conditioning for most of the sports.
“We have off-season training to get those softball skills. We also have conditioning and weight lifting in the off- season,” Tomlinson said.
There are many challenges that come with the spring sports season.
“The weather, being a coach and the assistant athletic director, you have to prioritize,” DeCaluwe said.
The weather plays a big role in the season and may not allow the teams to stay on schedule.
“All the spring sports have an indoor practice schedule that’s on a rotation,” Tomlinson said.
Some sports have had to practice indoors for much of the season due to the weather restrictions. Snow, rain, and sleet have kept teams inside.
“(Thanks to the weather), we’ve had some seasons where we weren’t able to get outside till very late in the season,” Woolard said.
There are also many great benefits to the coaches for helping with spring sports.
“I love so many things! Number one would be getting to know the players. Teaching is different than athletics. You see them in a different light. (Number two), I like teaching skills and strategies of the game,” Tomlinson said.
There are many things that athletes can do to prepare themselves for their upcoming season.
“Next year, come to open gyms, summer camps and conditioning. We want to give kids a chance,” DeCaluwe said.