Numerous PV athletic events have been cancelled within the last several weeks as a result of extreme weather conditions sweeping over the Midwest.
Harsh temperatures and piling snow perfectly describe the past few weeks in Bettendorf. Don Fry, English teacher at PV, said, “This is the most school we have missed for winter weather for as long as I’ve been here…and I’ve been here a long time.” Administrators have fully cancelled school more than seven times in the last three weeks alone, not to mention the handful of late starts and early-outs sprinkled in as well.
While students have been enjoying this so-called “Winter Break 2.0,” athletes have had to deal with the consequences, because often times, cancelled school means cancelled games and practices, too. These weather-related cancellations have caused visible changes in team chemistry and performance: all a result of diminishing practice time.
“As the end of the season approaches, it’s becoming even more important to stay in the water,” said Kevin Burke, senior and captain of the boys’ swimming team. Unlike other sports, swimmers can lose the feel for the water if they go too long without practicing. Burke added, “With swimming, it is very important to swim at least once –if not twice– a day.” All of these school cancellations have prevented swimmers from doing just that. It is an unfortunate situation to be in, especially towards the end of the postseason.
Weather-related cancellations have proved to be quite detrimental not only in the pool but on the court as well. “It’s just frustrating,” said senior Carter Duwa, captain of the boys’ basketball team. The basketball schedules are pre-arranged, so no team plays more than two games per week. Cancellations have butchered this schedule, forcing both the boys and girls teams to play more than three games a week at times.
Senior Adrea Arthofer, captain of the girls’ basketball team, explained, “We have to play all of our games by a certain date because of regional finals. With these cancellations happening so late in the regular season, we’ve had to cram to fit in make-up games before the deadline.” Having three game-days a week leaves less time for the teams to practice.
Duwa, whose team has faced similar difficulties, added, “We are forced to play lots of games in a short amount of time with little preparation.”
All of the snow days and early-outs have caused scheduling chaos among the athletic world, with teams scrambling to make up games before postseason deadlines. Many athletes have expressed their frustration regarding these breaks in normal routine as they, along with many other students at PV, are beginning to wish school does NOT get cancelled.
