Aurora – This will not get any better anytime soon.
Why? Your local administrators say so.
In four days, Colorado’s spring athletes, the ones we annually ask to grow up the fastest, will embark on their season.
That is, if you want to call it that.
It’s official – the third of three sanctioned seasons is the lowest on the radar, and it will stay that way.
“We took that to the board of control in January,” Colorado High School Activities Association commissioner Bill Reader said in attempting to extend the season to at least after Memorial Day.
As for the result?
“It was as close to a slam-dunk (defeat) as you can get,” he said.
Colorado spring athletes approach Marine status relative to the high school level, as in they adapt and overcome. And they must do virtually all of it before graduation, the main stickler. It seems officials are adamant against having a senior baseball player don his school’s cap after he gets a diploma, or a female sprinter wearing her school’s top and shorts after she’s handed a departmental award.
Officials fear a lack of control. Apparently, a kid who graduated, then competed in her classification’s soccer championship, isn’t responsible enough to stay out of trouble or avoid embarrassing her school before a trophy is awarded.
At the most, it’s a cop-out from administrators who already have booked a vacation or lined up a summer job as a lifeguard or house painter. (Trust me, they want it to be over.)
At the most, it’s an insult to student-athletes who, instead of being given the chance to revel in their final go-round athletically – the vast majority of high school athletes nationally are done competing in organized anything after graduation – are being pushed through lines like those ushered down the counter when ordering at Chipotle.
Spring sports begin in a hole that gets deeper. As usual, opening day will conflict with the final days of the state basketball tournament. And, as is the case from fall to winter, it can deter the multisport athlete.
Colorado’s ubiquitous spring break comes into play almost immediately. It’s definitely cool to take trips with their teams, as a good time usually is had by all, but they’re not taken at the same time. Jefferson County may begin its week off after the basketball tournament, followed by Denver the next week, Cherry Creek after that, Adams 12 after that, and so on. Kent Denver has been known to take a couple weeks off in April, the height of spring’s regular season.
So much for uniformity.
In addition to the stretch run for academics, spring sporters also deal with the unpredictable Colorado weather that unleashes its wild wrath whenever it feels like it.
Of course, there’s no sense in worrying about it, but competitors, save for boys swimmers, in recent years have been dealing with drought, blizzards, rain, sleet, lightning, wind and temperature changes straight out of “Star Trek.” Local television ratings during the latter portions of newscasts (i.e., the weather reports) generally soar from mid-March to mid-May as coaches and athletes can’t resist predictions about what’s supposed to await them – and then experience something completely different.
As a matter of fact, ask spring athletes how much they like “practicing” inside. A lot of it amounts to running through hallways or up and down stairs.
Don’t forget about playing surfaces. Even with growing use statewide of fields with artificial surfaces, everyone from coaches to players to moms and dads to scouts worry about the soccer player losing her plant foot on dormant grass. Or how about the third baseman playing in and attempting to handle a rocket grounder (from an aluminum bat, no less) on dust under grass that’s as fine as the growth of a sophomore’s attempt at a beard.
Girls golfers aren’t immune. Colorado greenskeepers don’t have to worry about being cruel in the spring, although it’s tempting. A missed 4-footer can result in a 25-footer coming back on a pool table-like green, or a missed 4-footer can turn into two 2-footers with all the bumps and lumps.
No track athlete wants to try a personal best in the 100 meters or long jump during 30-degree temperatures.
I once witnessed a prep baseball game in blowing snow. It was called after two innings, as much for failure to follow the ball as it was for one of the pitchers’ hands so bright red it appeared he had sprayed it with Day-Glo paint.
Another spring sports no-no: Administrators don’t want girls in prom dresses impatiently waiting on dusty benches or expensive limousines for the 12th inning to get over.
I’m not alone. Reader, too, laments the short season (10 weeks, including postseason), bad weather, no uniformity in spring break and the sense of a rush to get it over.
Did I mention it was a short season?
“Clearly, those kids have it the toughest,” Reader said.
The only alternatives are extending the spring season or cutting back the other two.
Neither of those will occur.
On the bright side, the spring has some of our better stars, notably among young women, and it’s more casual, with opportunities to sit in the stands or on the sidelines to watch, even from your pickup. It’s welcomed after being cooped up in gyms, rinks and pools all winter.
So let’s get on with it and save me a spot, although I imagine we’ll have to get together to see who’ll bring the extra chair, water, hot chocolate, umbrella, lip balm, chewing gum, parka, hat, gloves, sandals, goggles, sunglasses or sunscreen.
We don’t have that much time.
Neil H. Devlin can be reached at 303-820-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com.
