Rene’s Take

We are close to the midway point of the spring sports seasons and so far this year the weather has been very cooperative. I can’t remember the last time there have been fewer postponements.To compete in a spring sport takes a special athlete. You begin the season working out inside the gym or in the weightroom. You can work on pitching and running fundamentals in the gym, but you can’t work alot on hitting. You can get in all the weight training you want, but you can’t throw the javelin or work on pole vaulting. You can work on your serves, but you can’t work on volleys. The tennis ball skipping instead of a true bounce. Finally you are able to get outside and practice…. brrrrrrrr it’s cold can we go back into the gym where it is warm..Before you know it the season is here and for the St John Valley teams it might be your first   outside when you travel to Central or Southern Aroostook to play your first game.

Opening day is here and it is 32 degrees and the wind howling out of the north with a light drizzle. Not the perfect day for a game, but it’s time to play. For the next seven innings you are shivering in the field and when you do come to the plate you hope that you don’t hit it off the end of the bat and feel the sting on your cold hands.  On the tennis courts you toss the ball up for your first serve of the season and the wind blows the ball behind you. You pick it up and do it all again. On the track you are running into a 25 mile wind and wonder why there isn’t ever a tailwind to assist you. These are just some of the obstacles for the players.

The coaches also have several obstacles to overcome. Will the rain hold off and will be able to play today?? Who should I pitch? How many innings should I let them throw?? The pitching rule in baeball comes into play each and every time out. The coaches standing in the coaches box trying to keep the players focused. Knowing that they are cold and wet, but the game goes on. The umpires also are a special breed, standing behind the plate or on the basepaths waiting for that bang bang play.

It’s spring in the County and my hats off to  everyone who is helping make the spring season anothe great time of the year.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 at 4:36 pm and is filed under Uncategorized.
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