NOVAK: Rain is ruining my love of spring

Published 10:01 am Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Each morning for the past month, I have gotten up and checked the weather to see if we are going to be able to get some spring sports games played.

Most mornings, it has been a 50/50 proposition at best. A majority of those days have had at least one event canceled due to either the fact that it was raining or the fields were unplayable because the water has nowhere left to go.

I went through the same process Monday morning before getting ready to head to Notre Dame for the U.S. Senior Open press day at the Warren Golf Course.

As we have seen more often than we have wanted it, it was overcast, windy and cold.

Several jokes about the weather were made by the panel that was discussing the process in which Notre Dame earned the U.S. Senior Open next month.

But since I was covering the press conference, which you will read about in today’s and Wednesday’s papers, I was not checking Twitter, Facebook or my email for postponements and cancellations.

Quite frankly, I did not think I had to worry about any changes to the scheduled because the sun was peaking between the clouds occasionally. Yes, it was cold and windy, but at this stage of the season, teams are going to have to endure some pretty difficult elements in order to play games.

Upon arrival back at the office, I opened up my computer to go through my email and look at social media for any changes to the schedule for today.

I have to admit I was shocked when I saw more than one.

Because of all the rain we have already received, on top of what we got Sunday, field conditions around southwest Michigan continue to be sketchy at best.

So, Niles canceled its baseball and softball SMAC non-divisional home games with Kalamazoo Central set for Tuesday in order to move its West Division games with Mattawan from Monday to away games on today.

Meanwhile in Cassopolis, apparently the conditions at Ross Beatty Jr./Sr. High School are better than they are in Centreville because the Southwest Conference baseball and softball games switched sites.

Instead of a road game for the Rangers, the Bulldogs will travel to Cassopolis to play their doubleheaders.

If I had any hair, at this point, I would pull I out!

A conservative estimate would be that I spend at least 30 minutes each day searching emails and social media looking for game changes. I then post them on our social media pages to alert the fans and then I contact my freelancers to let them know if their games are being played, not being played or moved to a different site.

It is a trying process that has taken a lot of the fun out of spring sports for me.

I really love covering sports in the spring because I have been cooped up all winter covering basketball and wrestling and want to get out in the fresh air.

Only this spring, I have been cooped up in the office or looking out my window at home watching rain, sometimes snow, but always watching the wind blow.

Hopefully, we will soon have some warmer temperatures and sunny days with very little wind, so that we can get out and enjoy watching our sports teams compete.

The postseason begins this week for tennis and track. Baseball and softball are just two weeks away from the start of their playoffs.

Something has to give. I cannot wait for the day I can stop checking on the sports schedules and just get out there and cover the games.

Scott Novak is sports editor for Leader Publications. He can be reached at scott.novak@leaderpub.com