As the temperature warms up, rain and severe weather have become more frequent. Other than greener grass and growing plants, the change in weather has affected Pleasant Valley’s spring sports.
Current affected in-season sports include soccer and track and field. Summer sports like baseball are also preparing for their seasons, and the teams’ open fields have been affected.
The PVHS boys’ soccer team has had three games postponed so far this season due to weather conditions. This can affect teams because they utilize the early season to build their team chemistry and learn each other’s playing styles.
Senior soccer player Elisha Dale believes the team’s performance would have improved if the games had not been cancelled. “I feel like if our games didn’t get canceled, we would have a much better grasp on what we need to work on as far as where we slack, but also figuring out what we do well,” shared Dale. In soccer, some of the best practices can be game scenarios and learning from actually playing the game.
Both girls’ and boys’ track and field meets have also been canceled this spring. The boys’ team has had two meets canceled due to weather, and the girls’ team has had three. The cancellation of the meets hinders the overall experience of the athletes.
Joe Knepp, a senior on the PVHS track team, is concerned about how these cancellations affect the team. “It’s a big problem because you need to get races under your belt to build your confidence and build your racing abilities,” Knepp said.
Knepp emphasized that canceled meets are a significant setback for runners chasing specific goals. He noted that many athletes are striving to hit the Drake Relay qualifying marks, and losing a meet removes a critical opportunity to perform. “When trying to hit a Drake qualifying mark, a canceled meet can be very frustrating.” Drake also takes place in the middle of the season, leaving little time to reschedule lost opportunities.
The boys’ soccer team has been fortunate enough to reschedule all three of their games that have been postponed. “The game cancellations so far have not impacted us as a team due to our ability to reschedule them. However, if this continues and games keep getting canceled, our season will be short on many opportunities to put to use what we practice,” Dale said.
With the seasonal transition toward warmer weather, spring sports organizations remain hopeful that the schedule will suffer no further cancellations resulting from severe weather warnings.
