With April Winter weather comes postponements and cancellations in all outdoor sports from the major league level to the schools.
Reverie reveals Spring high school sports offer lush green fields for baseball, softball, track and field, and soccer, all on one complex for the schools fortunate to have installed multiple fields. The high school sports fan, in short sleeves and 80 degree weather with blue skies and warm sun, can walk from one game to another, even with long walks and enjoy competition between schools in mid-season form.
Alas, that scene likely will not arrive until early June, or, with luck, late May. We can dream of ideal conditions. This frigid and wet condition too shall pass. For now, schools’ assignment persons are scrambling to find open dates for postponed games. Similar situations with rain are easy to recall. Snow, cold, strong winds, and ice, are not at all common to April.
Nonetheless, bravely the teams prepare and plan to play this week and weekend. There are invitationals and tournaments planned for the weekend in high school sports. School and community supporters should find a game to attend, even if it means bundling up as though it were football in November. Why not? Support of community never should go out of style.
There are games every weekend in 11 high school Spring sports, and nearby colleges and universities have schedules. In high school the list includes boys and girls water polo, boys and girls track, boys and girls lacrosse, girls soccer, girls softball, boys baseball, boys tennis, boys volleyball, and throw in bass fishing, so there are 12 high school interscholastic sports. Many years ago schools had boys track in the Spring. Baseball was a bit of a laggard because creating and maintaining fields was difficult, both financially and physically. Grounds crews had to include players. The participants should be grateful for today’s playing conditions. We do tend to take some things for granted.
• There are games played every day in high school sports, weather permitting. Tournaments and invitationals are the focus so often on Fridays and Saturdays. Looking ahead to Friday and Saturday here is a list, in no special order of events, which would provide competition and enjoyment for fans who should take time to watch and enjoy, even if ever so briefly:
•Naperville North girls soccer invitational will be Friday and Saturday and into the following week. Many accomplished schools will participate;
• Kaneland High School’s Bruce Peterson Prep boys invitational Saturday usually is the start of the serious outdoor track and field meets;
• Wheaton Warrenville South will be host to a Friday boys track meet;
• Neuqua Valley will be host to girls track and field invitational Friday.
• Plano will be host to a boys and girls track invitational Friday;
• Rosary in Aurora will be host to a girls soccer invitational Saturday;
• East Aurora will be host to its annual Tomcat Feather Badminton Invitational Saturday;
• Naperville North and Central will hold a girls water polo meet Saturday. See NN girls soccer;
• Downers Grove South invitational in boys volleyball will be Friday and Saturday;
• Downers Grove South invitational in boys tennis will be Saturday;
• Downers Grove South invitational in boys track and field will be Thursday;
• Glenbard West will hold its annual girls track and field meet Saturday;
• St. Charles East will hold a boys tennis invitational Saturday;
• Palatine will hold a big boys track and field meet with many teams Friday;
• Palatine will hold a girls track distance night Saturday;
• Oswego will hold a boys tennis quad Saturday;
• Batavia will hold a girls track and field invitational Thursday.
Many venues and games. So little time.