There is a different hurdle for every sports season, and for spring sports, it’s the weather. The spring sports season lands right in between a very noticeable climate change, going from super rainy and cold weather in March and the beginning of April, then to sunny and warm towards the end of April and in May. Sports like tennis, baseball, and softball are all very weather-dependent sports, creating difficult or dangerous courts/fields when it rains. The dependence on sunny weather creates difficulties when growing as an athlete due to lack of time to practice from rescheduling and canceling.
Boys tennis coach, Mr.Ihde says that there is a large dependence on sunny and cloudless skies, “The court gets dangerous if it gets wet.” Canceled practices and rescheduled matches can take a toll on the efficiency of some players when districts roll around. “I would say that it usually affects the mid to lower – the less experienced players more.”
Ihde says that a large component of the more experienced players keeping up progress through the difficulties is a tennis club membership. Not every high-level player has one, but having a place to practice the movements no matter the weather is a large game changer when it comes to practicing during the season. Another easy way to continue consistent improvements is through off-season conditioning and practice. Making large strides through each season instead of just spring has shown to help create a more solid grasp on any sport, not just tennis.