Sports

Weather Freezes Spring Sports Season

The cold conditions have forced teams to practice inside and cancel games.

Michigan high school athletes are used to cold weather in the spring. They know there might be a little snow, a cold breeze and some chilly games.

However, this year’s weather has wreaked havoc on the start of the season.

Games have been canceled, teams have practiced indoors and the girls soccer team has even suffered seven hamstring injuries.

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“That’s freakishly more than normal,” said Fenton coach Matt Sullivan.

The team has also had to cancel two games because of the extremely cold conditions.

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“We’ve been playing in the gym a lot and running in the halls, which is hard on knees, ankles and backs,” Sullivan said.

When it comes to going outside, Sullivan said the coaches are affected by the cold more than the players.

“The kids are tougher than we are, so they are fine,” he said.

The baseball team has also been trapped inside and has not practiced outside much because of weather conditions.

“The term 'cabin fever' comes to mind,” Lake Fenton coach Huey Judson said. “The kids want to go, but there is no sense in hurting people’s arms. We have another two months to get outside.”

Judson fears the lack of outdoor practice paired with spring break next week will lead to several teams having slow starts to the season. He said pitchers will likely have to throw fewer innings, and it may take a little longer for hitters to come along.

The team has been practicing inside the gym for the most part and occasionally taking batting practice at Premier Indoor Sports.

“We do the best we can,” Judson said. “We work on fundamentals. We’ve put in defenses, but it’s not quite the same inside.”

The Lake Fenton golf team hasn't been able to do much either, as the squad's home course, , hasn't even opened for business yet.

"We've been to King Par a few times," said Lake Fenton coach Dennis Lucius. "We've practiced here and there."

The Blue Devils' first action will be a preseason league meet on April 12.

"We hope it warms up a bit by then," Lucius said.

The Fenton baseball team has practiced outside a handful of times, despite the cold weather.

"I'm happy to go outside," said senior Steve Rachor. "But I hope it warms up so I don't have to keep wearing four shirts to practice."

Rachor added that it has been tough on the real cold days.

"On Monday I couldn't feel my hands," he said. "When you hit one off the end of the bat, it hurts."

Fenton coach Chad Logan said he has no set criteria for determining to practice inside or outside, but he joked, "The kids might hate it, but if the sun is out and the soccer team is out, we come out."

He said the field has been in good shape for this early in the spring.

"We aren't trying to freeze the kids out," Logan said. "But if we have a chance to get outside, we are going to do it."


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