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By ALAN K. STOUT alanks@leader.net
Thursday, March 13, 2003 Page: 1B
No one is shagging fly balls in the outfields or turning double-plays on
the diamonds.
No one is booting long passes across the soccer fields, or making diving
stops in front of the goals.
Normally by this time of year, you’d see some action at the area’s high
school athletic fields.
Not so this season.
As the brutal winter continues to outstay its welcome, it’s also preventing
schools from practicing outdoors. And that has been frustrating for coaches
and players who are just weeks away from the start of the spring season.
The first day teams were allowed to scrimmage was March 8. The first day
teams are allowed to play games is March 17 for boys tennis and March 21 for
baseball, softball, girls soccer and track and field.
“Everything has gone inside,” said Sandy Mackay, athletic director at
Wyoming Valley West. “Baseball, softball, soccer, tennis – everything is
inside.”
Mackay said the only exception is track. Though those athletes aren’t
practicing on the track, they are running on sidewalks and side streets. He
adds that the Spartans’ baseball field in Kingston is in no condition for
practice.
“There’s ice on the infield, and it actually looks like a frozen lake,”
he said. “That’s how bad it is.”
Mackay said some indoor work can be productive, but it’s no substitute for
hitting the fields.
“You don’t field the same on a gym floor as you do on an infield,” he
said. “It’s unfortunate, that’s for sure, but we’re just keeping our fingers
crossed for this 50-degree weather coming this weekend.
“There’s so many things that you can’t do inside. The only batting cages
that we have are at the high school, and it’s not the same thing. You just
don’t have as much time to get that many swings in.”
Like other districts, Valley West is maximizing its indoor facilities for
practice. At the high school in Plymouth, the girls soccer team practices from
2:30-4 p.m. The volleyball team gets the gym from 4-6 p.m. and the baseball
team works from 6-8 p.m.
The girls softball team is practicing at Dana Street Elementary in Forty
Fort and the junior high baseball and softball teams are working at West Side
Vo-Tech in Pringle.
Rich Gorgone, athletic director of the Lake-Lehman School District, said
the situation is similar for the Black Knights.
“Everybody’s working out inside, in the gym,” Gorgone said. “We kind of
divvy it up, and keep everybody equal, but obviously we’ve got a couple of
inches of snow outside, so no one can be outside.”
Gorgone said the baseball team is working on fundamentals, such as hitting
cut-off men. The pitchers are also working with catchers. Still, he said it’s
frustrating not to be able to do some hitting, shag some flies or scrimmage.
“We’re all eager to go,” Gorgone said. “The coaches want to get outside
and get their season going, but what can you do?”
John Joseph, athletic director at Coughlin High School, said athletes there
are also working inside. The volleyball team gets two hours in the gym, since
it is an inside sport, and the other sports get one hour. The track and
softball teams and have been practicing at the high school gym, the baseball
team is at Mackin Elementary and the soccer team is at Dan Flood Elementary.
He, too, said it’s been tough on coaches and players.
“They’re tremendously frustrated and worried about the opening of the
season,” Joseph said. “It’s been pretty nuts, but they’re doing a great job.
The only fair thing about it is that everybody’s in the same situation.
“Nobody’s getting outside to practice.”