TOWAMENCIN – Despite what the weathermen are saying, spring is in the air. Or at least, spring sports are in the air, with tryouts and practices beginning last week at North Penn. However, activities have been disrupted by multiple snow storms, including the seven plus inches we received last Thursday. With a seemingly endless amount of weeks of winter left, teams have been left to hold practices in the remaining facilities available inside.

The snow storms, and now the water it is leaving behind, have turned the fields on campus into swamps. With every field under water, teams have been sharing the indoor gymnasiums, turf field, and S-lot parking lot. North Penn has nine Spring Sports teams, and the start of the season has athletes and coaches itching to be outside, basking in the warmth of the sun. But with so many fields and practice areas a hazard to athletes, Assistant Athletic Director Dan Huston has been trying to accommodate every team’s practice schedule.

“There are only so many places that teams can practice. Some of our spring teams have large numbers, so using a gym doesn’t work well. The coaches want to be outside, so S-Lot and the turf have been a tremendous help,” said Huston. “The coaches have been understanding when it comes to splitting up the gym time.”

Teams have had to rework their respective schedules, sometimes switching from afternoon to early evening, and vice versa.

“I try and provide a two hour block of time for each team using the gyms. In fairness to all teams, I try and rotate when teams practice after school and early evening,” said Huston.

Creativity has sprung inside our Spring coaches’ minds, for with limited space to work with, they have to come up with new ways and ideas to get their athletes prepared for the season. Larger teams, like the Boys’ and Girl’s track teams, have had to get the most creative with no track available. Boys’ track team member and senior Alex Washesky understands the dilemma with recent practices.

“We have had to run in E-pod and the bus circle a lot,” said Washesky. “But it’s just a pain that we can’t use our track.”

Most teams hold optional workouts before the season starts in order to further prepare for the season, and the change in schedules and practice area can disrupt the inner workings of a team. However, head baseball coach Kevin Manero has been optimistic throughout the recent weeks, and already sees spring weather on the horizon.

“The conditions got a lot worse last week, just when it was starting to get better. It has been a lot of creativity, a lot of juggling, and a lot of flexibility on the part of the guys involved. We have been very productive and have managed to take advantage of the space we have had,” said Manero. “But I think as bad as it always looks every year, things change very quickly in the month of March, and fortunately, the athletic department has been very accommodating in terms of getting us all the space that we need.”

With practices being moved around, and athletes being subjected to the harsh weather conditions over the past few weeks, one could certainly wonder whether the recent weeks will have a negative effect of team performance this year. Huston believes, however, that North Penn may have a slight advantage over most schools in the area because of our size.

“All of the schools that we compete against are in the same situation,” said Huston. “North Penn may have a slight advantage having three gyms and a turf field to utilize for practices. Teams may start out slow at first, but like any other season, you want to be playing your best heading into playoffs.”

The weather may have been brutal within the past few weeks, but temperatures this week are already warming up. With recent rainfalls starting to wash away the snow and break down the layer of ice that has formed on the ground, grass is already starting to poke through. Thanks to the North Penn Athletic Department’s resourcefulness, and the dedication and commitment of the spring sports coaches and athletes, optimism for the upcoming season is starting to shine through today’s gray clouds.