Late start for local High School Spring sports

April 6, 2016 6:14 pm

By Ana Bottary

abottary@abc6.com

@anabottary

Snow covered fields, a sight you would expect to see in the winter, not the beginning of April. It’s creating a major headache for local High School Athletic Directors, who are forced to begin the spring sports season late this year.

"It’s quite challenging this year. Our fields are obviously under snow and that creates huge problems. Not only do games get postponed, but the ability for the players to get ready to play in games when they begin is going to be a problem," Says Pilgrim High School Athletic Director Nick Difilippo.

Difilippo says grass fields and wet weather do no mix well. Once the snow melts the problems are not over.
"When the fields are ready, you have to make sure the fields are safe, so the players are safe. So, it makes it a little more difficult,” he adds.

Over at North Providence High School, they are experiencing the same issues.
Athletic Director Glenn Williams says rescheduling games is not always easy.

"Are officials available? We have some sports where there aren’t enough officials to do any game you want. Compound that with the end of the school year, you have events school events whether it be proms, senior celebration events," says Williams.

We caught up with some spring sport athletes and asked them how canceled practices and games are affecting their teams.

"For myself and other seniors on the team, juniors, sophomores and freshman, we are all trying to make this season count and it is really hard when the weather is effected. We have to constantly check the weather, how the field looks, where we are going to practice," says Isabella Moniz, a Senior Lacrosse player at North Providence High School.

"Since there is snow on the ground we can’t swing at all, and we can’t swing inside. So it really can affect our match play, our practices just our overall play,” says Daniel Goudis, a Sophomore Tennis player at Pilgrim High School.

Both Athletic Directors say they can’t predict Mother Nature. Unfortunately rain is expected tomorrow and possibly snow this weekend. But, Williams remains hopeful,
saying in his 11 years as Athletic Director he has never had to cancel an entire season or portion of a season due to cancellations.