By Jennifer Eisenbart
Sports Editor
I have to admit, after enduring the last month of rainy weather, flying to Los Angeles last weekend for the NCAA women’s gymnastics championships was a blast.
Not only did I get to see great gymnastics – the Florida Gators won the title for the first time with a furious rally in the last rotation – I got to enjoy some gorgeous weather.
When I left Wisconsin, it was rainy and about 40 degrees. It didn’t even have to get to L.A. to find warmer weather. I landed in Detroit (yes, I know, flying east to go west) to find it 75 degrees. The cold front moved through while we were struck on the ground in a severe thunderstorm warning for two hours.
But it was worth the wait to get to L.A. Three days of temperatures in the 80s, bright sunshine and blue skies. I waded in the Pacific Ocean, and I spent an hour and a half swimming Saturday – in an outdoor pool.
As a friend of mine told me Tuesday, “I hope you got burnt.” I didn’t.
Of course, as nice as it was, I still had to come home Sunday. I got off the airplane and anxiously waited for my luggage – so I could pull out my windbreaker and put it on.
While Monday certainly offered nice, warm temperatures and sunny skies, it was back to the same old Wisconsin spring on Tuesday – temperatures in the 40s, occasional snowflakes and a steady rain.
No, no games in the area got played.
When you ask the area athletic directors if they’ve ever seen anything like this, the answer is pretty much unanimous.
“I have not, no,” said Union Grove Athletic Director David Pettit, who pointed out his school’s softball team had yet to get in a home game. “I’ve been doing it for 13 years, and this is the worst I’ve been a part of.”
It was the same in Burlington.
“It’s been a tough spring,” said BHS Athletic Director Eric Plitzuweit. “We need to understand we’re not alone.”
Burlington – and Catholic Central, Waterford and Union Grove – certainly are NOT unique. The schedules have been cancelled now to the point where non-conference games are not being rescheduled. There’s probably even some doubt weather all the Southern Lakes Conference baseball, softball, tennis and golf matches can be played.
Of course, there is the occasional newcomer to the mess. CCHS athletic director Tom Aldrich – who just stepped into the post last fall – can’t say he’s ever seen anything like this, simply because he has nothing to compare it to.
“I’ve never been in this position before. I’ve never looked at it from this position,” he said. “It’s just the way it is.”
Waterford AD Mike Blair seemed to be following the advice of the British from the 2012 Olympics – keep calm and carry on.
“We just do the best we can and move forward,” he said.
Of course, the real losers in this are the student athletes. Certainly, freshmen, sophomores and juniors will get more chances to compete, but there are numerous seniors in the area who are looking at their final opportunities to get out on the field. For them, every cancelled contest is one less chance to play a sport they love.
But, it could always be worse. The one spring sport that doesn’t get affected all that much by the weather, provided there are no thunderstorms, is track and field. So those athletes compete in the rain, in the cold and often, in just about anything short of snow.
My hats off to them. Those athletes are the true spring warriors – but I’m sure the other sports would follow them in a heartbeat if it meant they could play.
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