Relentless pounding from snow, rain, cold takes toll on area sports teams

During his 20-plus years of coaching soccer at Grafton High School, Don Arnold thought he had seen just about everything in the sport.

That is until this spring, when his girls’ team has spent more time kicking balls around in gymnasiums and hallways than on the field.

Thank you, Mother Nature.

“This has got to be the worst spring I’ve ever seen for sports,” said Arnold, who like other area coaches has watched practices and games fall victim to lousy weather — first snow, then rain and cold.

“It’s been crazy, like the tale of two  springs. Last year, we had 70-degree days, and everybody was getting suntanned.

“This year, we can’t even get out on the field. It’s not that playing in the rain is a problem because we do that. But the fields are just too soaked, too unsafe to use.”

After having its first three games postponed, Grafton caught a reprieve this week. On Monday night, the Black Hawks were able to use Whitefish Bay High School’s artificial-turf field for their season opener against Germantown.

Few teams have been so lucky. Although track and field squads dodged inclement conditions as they finished their indoor seasons, the sloppy spring has taken its toll on soccer, softball, tennis and golf.