A late winter has brought snow to Baldwin City, and the snow has affected spring sports schedules.

Baseball, softball, golf, track, and girls soccer are in the midst of their preseason. Each has games/meets in the near future, and each has had to adjust practice times.

For the most part individual practice times are decided by coaches, but Athletic Director Gary Stevanus considers all possibilities.

“We have had the discussion of ‘how cold is too cold’ on many occasions,” Stevanus said. “You must factor in student-athlete safety, equipment issues, and how effective the work-out will be.”

Circumstances need to be playable in order host a competition.  Unplayable conditions include when injuries could occur or when fields could become excessively damaged.  Due to these hazards, the first week of spring sports events has been postponed.

Practice times have been heavily affected because of the weather.  Girls soccer has often had to practice indoors, both at the PC and in the high school.

“I think it has made it harder and we are behind the schools that can practice outside,” sophomore soccer player Natalie Shultz said. “But when we are inside it helps our touches. We have to be more accurate.”

Golf has also had a difficult time making it outside.

“We have only been outside once,” coach Tom Sigvaldson said. “It is really messing up our chance to evaluate new kids.  We have spent several days indoors watching training videos, but it is not too productive because we cannot apply it.”

Softball coach Chad Scoby has had a little more luck than golf.

“We have been on a field for practice three times,” Scoby said. “(The weather) has affected how we have to work with the players. We get a lot throwing in during inside practice, but what we can do fielding and as a whole team is very limited. The girls have kept positive attitudes throughout this crazy schedule and I feel like we have done everything we can with the situation we are in.”

Sophomore baseball player Ben Brungardt is just ready to get on the field.

“It’s been kind of boring because we cannot do much stuff,” Brungardt said. “Because we cannot get outside, we have had to practice inside.”

The other spring sport, track, has not evaded the weather either.

“We have had to do more inside,” coach Mike Spielman said. “We have had to do more warm-ups inside.  Distance has gotten outside, but sprinters and throwers have mostly been inside.”

Track was scheduled to have a meet today, Thurs. March 28, but it has been postponed to Monday, April 1.  To no surprise, the weather is supposed to be cold and rainy.  Mother Nature permitting, the meet will be continued, and spring sports will be off to the races, pun intended.