Mixing Snowy Weather and Spring Sports

February 2

Four inches of snow fell last Wednesday, which could only mean one thing: the spring sports season had begun.

With the temperatures below freezing and the grass buried beneath the snow, spring sports teams started practicing last week but will be forced to do so inside the Walker Field House for quite a while. Spring training evokes all the images of a sunny day in Florida. But at Vassar, pre-season workouts begin and end with a trek through the snow.

There is nothing quite like the first day of practice: The nervousness about getting back into the groove, the excitement over playing the sport you love, and the confusion of seeing the ground covered in snow yet knowing that opening day is only one month away.

For me and the rest of my teammates on the baseball team, this season has a different feel and a different look from years past. While donning new, matching maroon practice gear, we boast a newfound confidence and high hopes for the upcoming year. The first few days consisted of taking ground balls in Walker Field House, hitting in the batting cage, conditioning, and talking of a successful season. We feel that we are going to surprise the other teams in the league. And it is this excitement about the season that keeps us motivated even while our field is covered in snow.

Surely it will get tough at some time in the upcoming weeks to stay focused during our indoor practices and to remind ourselves that we will be playing Swarthmore outside on March 1. But the temperatures have been rising, the snow has been melting and the first signs of spring weather are not too far off. And as a team, we feel that a winning season is not too far off either.