Prep athletic directors in western Massachusetts are hoping the snow stays off their fields as they prepare for spring sports.
As many schools in the area prepare for winter vacation the last week of February, athletic directors typically use the downtime to assess field conditions and prep facilities for the upcoming season.
Per the state’s high school athletics association, tryouts and practices start in public schools on March 16.
Massachusetts has pretty much dodged the snow this year, and those in charge of athletics programs are hoping it stays that way.
"It’s always good, when you're an athletic director, to be able to see the grass in February for sure," Agawam High athletic director Dave Stratton told the local Fox affiliate. "We very rarely, if ever, get outside when we would like to."
Stratton said most athletes in New England use the winter break to get moving again.
"It's always good for us when Spring athletes can get out and move around, whether it's running on sidewalks or being able to get on some grass to throw a ball around, because that way we have fewer injuries when they get out there and begin their practice," Stratton said.
The weather next week may actually allow athletes to get outside, according to meteorologist Dan Brown.
"The start of the vacation for the kids is going to be cold. In fact, some of the coldest weather of the season, but it doesn't last long. It looks like temperatures get above normal for at least a few days next week," explained Brown.
Brown said the last two years were incredibly warm in the area. “In fact, back-to-back years, we had record-high temperatures for the entire month when we went into the seventies," he said.
"I'm hoping that our Winter kind of continues into March the way it has and we don't get those massive snowfalls that we can become accustomed to around here. We've had plenty of April first snowfall and it’s never an April fool's joke," added Stratton.
