Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog, peaked from his hole in the ground. He was shy at first, but emerged with a yawning face. He stretched his front legs to be pleasantly surprised by the fact that he did not see his shadow this year. Because he did not see his shadow, meteorologists predict an early spring . This is good news for athletes at WO. In comparison to last year’s cold season, WO athletes are hopeful for an early spring that will bring warmer weather to a great upcoming season.
Many athletes agree that last year, the weather was not cut out for all the outdoor practices. “It was so cold! We always practiced outside and the field was slick and cold, so I always had like three layers on in the beginning. It was rough being the goalie at the moment because every time I would get hit with a ball, it hurt more because of the cold,” Sr. Courtney Allen said. Allen, like other athletes, dreaded piling on layers. It is clear that a warmer season would be beneficial to their practices.
There have been instances where the weather forces sports like track to be practiced indoors. “It was pretty cold and we had to practice inside. Sprinters mostly did sprint laps around the indoor track and lifted. I’m pretty sure long distance ran outside, or around the building,” said Jr. Rachel Ives. Girl’s tennis in particular had poor tennis court conditions last year that persisted for a lot of the season. In the middle of March, the team had to have practices at the indoor courts at MVP. This persisted for weeks because the weather did not cooperate. The girls were not allowed to play outside in weather under 40 degrees; it was not suitable for outdoor tennis. The team attempted to clear the courts by shoveling the two feet deep snow. It was cold, and even after the snow was removed, the courts were soaking wet. When tennis courts are wet, they become dangerously slippery. The spring season presents challenges for athletes when the weather is not suitable for outdoor activity.
As spring sports get closer, athletes are eager to see the snow disappear and stay gone. The monthly forecast shows temperatures of high 20s near the end of February, but as soon as March begins, the temperature shows an increase to the high 30s and low 40s. That is great news for athletes because most spring sports are beginning the second week of March. The sooner the weather warms up, the sooner the snow will disappear. “I hope that all the snow will be gone, and it will be like a good 60 degrees out,” Allen said.
“I definitely want this season to be warm! Being outside is the best part of track,” said Jr. Rachel Ives. WO athletes shall keep their fingers crossed that Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction is accurate.
