by Daniel Maiorana Current staff writer
Spring is near and that means the spring athletes are suiting up for a long-awaited 2021 season. When the pandemic struck last March, spring athletes were only able to get tryouts and a few practices in before the world shut down. This year, Howard County has rewarded the athletes with a 12 game season, including county playoffs. The state of Maryland is not holding statewide tournaments because the COVID-19 cases haven’t slowed down, so Howard County is doing their best to ensure that competitive nature with a playoff. Each team will play against every school once, starting May 7th and going until June 1st. No scrimmages will take place this year, which is never a good sign because every team needs in game experience with each other, as it has been over a year since a real match. Teams who can gain chemistry quicker than others will thrive in this shortened season, as it is essential to always be on the same page as teammates. Whoever shows good signs of chemistry early in the season will most likely have the best end to the season, going after the alluded county championship.
One thing the spring athletes are used to are the tricky weather conditions during tryouts and the beginning of season, and the postponed start to the season didn’t change anything. Winds were up to 15 mph during tryouts, and players of different sports had to adjust their playing style solely based on where they were standing on the field/court. Tennis players have the most difficult time out of any spring athlete when it comes to playing in the wind, as the ball is lighter than a lacrosse ball, baseball or softball. When the gusts of wind are coming from all cardinal directions, it is tough to adjust as the ball can fly on one end, while on the other end the ball will barely go over the net, no matter how hard you hit it. Softball and baseball players can also be affected by the wind, as dirt could blow into their faces, and when the pitch comes in, a big gust of wind that moves the ball a few centimeters could make a big difference. Senior first baseman and pitcher Ryan Miller spoke about the heavy winds during last week’s tryouts, saying “The ball was moving around way differently both as a pitcher and a hitter, making it tough to adjust to different pitches.” If the wind is blowing towards home plate, the pitcher is at an advantage, and if the wind is blowing towards centerfield, the batter is at an advantage. For lacrosse players, wind isn’t too much of a problem, but as a goalie, it can be very difficult. The wind can move the ball a few inches, making it seem like it’s impossible to save a shot when the ball is coming in so fast. The weather will improve throughout the season, as April showers (and winds) bring May flowers.
The competitive nature is at a high during tryouts, especially when more players are trying out for a smaller team. Tennis tryouts were very competitive as over 40 players tried out, forcing Coach Pfefferkorn to make two days of cuts, extending the tryouts one more day. The nerves are at a high for players, whether they’re returning to the team or not, as no spot is guaranteed. There weren’t many players going out for baseball and softball tryouts besides the returning players, so coach Rosenbaum and McCoy didn’t have to make many tough decisions. The same goes for all lacrosse coaches, as they had many returning players so only a few tough decisions had to be made. Miller noted that “everyone was very prepared for the season even with not being able to work out and throw in the offseason.” Baseball tryouts were still competitive, even with the low amount of players trying out to get a new spot on the team. With the season starting in two weeks, coaches have quite some time to prepare their players and figure out their lineups for the season.
Excited to finally start playing for the first time in over a year, spring athletes have prepared themselves for a long awaited season. With everything going on during the pandemic, athletes had to find ways to consistently get work in to keep their skills sharp. When tryouts came around, coaches quickly saw what players were most prepared for, and the players who didn’t prepare for the season paid the price of getting cut.