The Wyoming Valley Conference spring sports season was scheduled to get underway with four boys tennis matches Tuesday.
All four matches, including Pittston Area at Dallas, were postponed.
Although the conference has not taken any formal steps to collectively rearrange schedules, there are likely to be many more changes ahead for local schools and their outdoor spring teams.
“No decisions have been made about the schedule,” Lake-Lehman athletic director Jeff Shook said late Wednesday. “We’re going day-by-day basically trying to get as many games in as we can to salvage anything we can.”
Baseball and softball teams have been among those stuck indoors since Winter Storm Stella dumped roughly two feet of snow on most fields on March 14. Those fields will probably need the longest to be ready.
None of the spring teams could practice during the times when schools were closed earlier this month and most of the outdoor teams have been making use of gyms to get in whatever workouts are possible.
Dallas and Lake-Lehman lacrosse teams play on the artificial turf stadium fields at the schools, but there could be delays in the early-season schedules for them as well.
“There’s nowhere to put the snow,” Shook said of the 10-inch layer that was still on the field midweek at Lake-Lehman. “If we make piles, it’s going to end up on the track and then that’s going to take even longer.”
The track and field conference schedule is set to begin this week. Track surfaces may be clear by then, but how quickly the field event areas can be cleared will be an issue.
“Our javelin is on grass regardless of where we put it,” said Shook, pointing out that the shot put and discus could be conducted on turf.
Baseball and softball teams generally use non-league games to get ready for the league schedule. Some of those games may never get made up if they are pushed back too far, particularly in baseball where additional games in a short period of time can wear out pitching staffs.
“We haven’t made any decision league-wise or anything like that,” Shook said. “Right now, it’s just affecting our exhibition schedules. We’re going to try to make them up, if we can, to get the kids as many games as we can.”
Shook said it is possible that the few turf fields available for baseball and softball could get extra use with games moved off unplayable home fields at other schools.
“Everybody in northeastern PA is dealing with this,” he said. “We’re going to work with other athletic directors as much as we can.”
Boys volleyball, where the only disruptions have been to lost practice time and more time sharing the gym with other sports, is the only indoor spring sport. The WVC is scheduled to open Monday.
Track and field season is scheduled for Tuesday openers.
Baseball, softball and girls lacrosse are all scheduled for April 3 openers with boys lacrosse set for April 4. Each of those sports would have been active with non-league play or scrimmages during the past week if field conditions allowed.
