Spring weather a challenge for local teams
Photo by Josh McDonald You can just barely makes out the tip of home plate at Teeters Field. The plate sits below about an inch of water and mud caused by the recent rash of wet weather.
After the recent waves of normal, but still odd weather, its seems as though Mother Nature, or at least North Idaho, is working against local spring sports programs.
With golf, baseball, softball, and track programs all requiring outdoor facilities to participate in them things like snow, hail, and rain are impassible hurdles.
Just last week, the Kellogg softball team was forced to cancel a trip to Post Falls which has limited an already thin schedule.
The players willingness to play in such rough conditions aren’t such big issues as the rough conditions themselves.
Baseball and softball diamonds become unsafe when they get soaked, rubberized tracks are hazardous for people trying to demonstrate their speed, and don’t even think about getting any favorable bounces or rolls on muddy golf course.
“The weather has impacted our season significantly,” Kellogg golf coach Simon Miller said. “Snow melting is something we are used to dealing with. However, weeks of cold rainy weather are something that make it incredibly difficult to find any sort of rhythm in a golf game. Even though our golf course has been playable (barely) the last week and a half or so, the conditions are miserable. Further, we have not been able to take advantage of the state tournament being up north, since the course we will be playing, still isn't open.”
Kellogg is supposed to be hosting a league match this week, but with cold/rainy forecasts ahead there is speculation on if the event is going to happen, but that decision will be a tough one as rescheduling becomes nearly impossible this late in the year.
“We have already had to cancel two matches,” Miller said. “Because the Idaho High School Activities Association (IHSAA) only allows two matches per week, we will play in less matches this year than we typically do.”
Further up the Silver Valley in Mullan, the Tiger golf team is refusing to let the weather get the better of them.
“Mullan golf has not been negatively impacted at all by the cold and wet weather,” coach Paul Elston said. “We go the course for practice or tournaments every day, regardless of weather, except for excessive snow and or hail.”
Wallace High School track coach Jennifer Branz was a little more cavalier in her response to if the weather is negatively affecting her squad.
“It's just track and field in North Idaho as far as I am concerned,” Branz said.
Hopefully the teams can get a little sunshine in the near future.