It’s officially spring, which means high schools are in the Spring Sports season. But in Central New York, it’s not exactly an easy transition. NCC News’ Liam Griffin details the challenges schools in the area face this time of year.
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(GRIFFIN) AT HIGH SCHOOLS IN CENTRAL NEW YORK, SPRING SPORTS LIKE SOFTBALL ARE BACK. BUT DESPITE THE SEASON CHANGE, SNOW CONTINUES TO FALL FREQUENTLY. EAST SYRACUSE MINOA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC DIRECTOR MIKE CLONAN SAYS DEALING WITH ADVERSE CONDITIONS IS NOTHING NEW.(CLONAN) “One thing with this job, you almost become a meteorologist a little bit, you have to have a keen eye on the weather, because you’re making your decisions based on what’s going on outside, especially in the spring.” (:13)
(GRIFFIN) LAST SEASON, SYRACUSE DIDN’T GET ITS FINAL SNOWFALL UNTIL MAY. BUT GAMES WILL STILL BE PLAYED, INCLUDING AT SKANEATELES HIGH SCHOOL. THE LAKERS HAVE ALREADY WON EIGHT SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS THIS YEAR, AND ATHLETIC DIRECTOR STEPHEN MUSSO EXPECTS MORE SUCCESS IN THE SPRING. (MUSSO) “We have multiple sport athletes, which is one of the nice things about Skaneateles, a lot of participation, a lot of multiple sport athletes, so we’re thinking we’re gonna have a pretty good spring.” (:10) (GRIFFIN) IT’S SURE TO BE A GREAT SEASON. LIAM GRIFFIN, N-C-C NEWS.
Syracuse, N.Y. (NCC News)- The Spring Sports season is underway for high schools in Central New York. However, winter storm threats are still lurking. Syracuse doesn’t typically receive its final snowfall of the season until April, sometimes even later. Nonetheless, the spring sports season rolls on, despite the lingering threat of games being postponed or cancelled. However, some high schools in CNY have no reason to panic when such circumstances arise.
“It happens often,” said Stephen Musso, Skaneateles High School Athletic Director. “We have a pretty good system in place, so it’s not as complicated or overwhelming as it seems, but there’s a lot of moving parts and communication that needs to take place.”
Even when snow isn’t on the radar, temperatures are often cold. The average low temperature in Syracuse in April is just 36 degrees Fahrenheit, and it often gets much colder. That’s another thing schools take into consideration when deciding whether to play.
“Obviously we’re not going to put our kids out in a situation where the windchill is gonna be overwhelming,” said Mike Clonan, East Syracuse Minoa High School Athletic Director. “We’ll keep an eye on that, we’ll watch the real feel and see what the temperatures bring, but we’re ready to go.
Despite the possibility of weather issues, sports like baseball, softball, lacrosse and more are underway for CNY high schools. Athletic Directors across the area have made it clear that as long as the weather isn’t too bad, the action will proceed, and it will be fun.