Bad Weather Takes a Toll on High School Teams

It is safe to say that this spring has not been exactly springy – and no one knows that better than players and coaches for area high school sports teams.

According to The Weather Channel, April brought the Farmington area 4.62 inches of precipitation, nearly two inches over the April average of 2.71 inches. Temperatures ranged from 82 degrees to 27 degrees. May was just as erratic, with temperatures anywhere from 84 degrees to 36 degrees. Precipitation for the month is already at 3.04 inches, well over the average of 2.67 inches.

This weather has dampened the spring sports season with a number of postponements, rain delays and cancellations. But there are effects that spectators cannot see.

boys lacrosse coach Phil Arakelian said that the inability to have normal practices is the most costly side effect for his team.

Not only is he unable to practice outdoors or get regular gym time, but it is hard to get the team moving in the cold and rain. This goes for games, also.

“We had one game where it was very unique in the fact that it was snowing and hailing and raining first game out …We had kids playing in sweats, and they were already frozen by the time they got out there,” Arakelian said. “It has not been a great year by any means.”

More troubling than the inconvenience of bad weather is the risk of injury. In a game at Waterford, one member of the Farmington team broke his foot because of weather damage to the natural grass field.

 “We are facing more than just cancellation of games,” Arakelian said.

baseball coach Michael O’Connell agreed with Arakelian that practice time has been the biggest issue.

“The number one thing that affects my team because of the weather is practice time outside,” O’Connell said. “The gym time is really hard to come by…With baseball there is only so much you can do in a gym. I think that has really affected the team’s performance early in the season.”

The North Farmington baseball team had four postponements in its first eight games. Rescheduling those match-ups made for a tight squeeze once the season got going.

“As soon as we started playing games … we had 30 games packed into about 40 days, so the practice time was limited,” said O’Connell, who has had to make practices longer to make up for lost time.

girls tennis coach Janice Maxey said that the end-of-the-season crunch was another big struggle that her team faced. “I was doing four matches or even five matches in a week because you were trying to make them up, so then you had no practice, you just went from match to match to match,” Maxey said. “It was difficult
because of the other commitments they all have.”

Maxey and her team found themselves with a lack of options, as tennis demands a court. “We were unable to go indoors, if that were a possibility that would have been helpful,” Maxey said. “There were not a lot of options.”

The seniors of the Farmington lacrosse program have been able to find some good in a season that Mother Nature has tried to ruin. Arakelian said his unique group can find the fun in anything.

 “My seniors have made the best of it,” Arakelian said. “They make the best of every situation.”

Will Taylor and Al Lesperance of the Farmington lacrosse team said it is hard to get going in the cold weather. The cold weather and rain have negative effects on the equipment, especially the sticks.  

“We for sure lack motivation,” Taylor said.

The Farmington lacrosse team will be facing Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Eaglets on Wednesday. North Farmington baseball plays West Bloomfield today at home.