Intramurals Affected by Weather

Spring has arrived in Stevens Point and so has the crazy spring weather that affects block four intramural outdoor sports every year.

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point intramurals offer six outdoor sports every spring from Sunday-Thursday. The sports offered are flag football, soccer, ultimate frisbee, kickball, tennis and softball. Ed Richmond of campus activities and recreation, describes this spring as a good spring for block four intramurals.

“A typical spring is usually like the spring we have this year compared to last year,” Richmond said. “We usually have 1-2 weeks of delay for outdoor sports, and last spring we had about 3-4 weeks of delays.”

When games are cancelled, the goal for rescheduling is to make sure those cancelled games are played.

“It has been two weeks without games so we are going to double up nights, because people pay for their amount of games,” Richmond said.

Cancelled games are made up as double headers on the same nights based off the schedules of students.

“It is too hard to make up games on different nights because students plan their schedules around those nights, and that throws a wrench into things,” Richmond said.

Sophomores Jack Simenson and Curtis Rauen say double headers can be a good thing and a bad thing.

“It’s disappointing to have cancellations but fun to have double the competition in one night,” Simenson said. “Two games means there’s going to be a later game and you’re a little handcuffed if you have to study for a test the next day.”

“Intramurals does a good job of rescheduling games,” Rauen said. “Most students enjoy doubleheaders because they’re playing more than one game a night.”

Rescheduling games also means rescheduling work hours for the intramurals staff. Richmond says nights can be very long if games are being made up.

“Staff can be working until midnight because they’re working the scheduled games and make up games,” Richmond said.

Richmond says the unpredictable weather in spring is what makes block one better for outdoor sports compared to block four.

“It’s hard to get a gage when we think the weather is good because you can never count on Mother Nature,” Richmond said.

Simenson says being outside is one of the excitements of playing block four.

“After a long winter, I think people are ready to go outside and be competitive,” Simenson said. “It’s a bonus to be outside since we haven’t been since October.”

Richmond credits the intramurals staff for the work they do when it comes to the weather and the long nights.

“We have a great student staff who work late for these make up games,” Richmond said.

According to Richmond, the UWSP grounds department makes the decision whether games will play on their nights. Richmond says intramurals and the grounds crew work together to make sure the grounds are safe and in good shape for students to play on.

Keeping the conditions of the eight fields is also one of the goals for block four intramurals according to Richmond.

“We rotate the events around the field so the wear patterns are not in same spot to help keep the fields in good shape,” Richmond said.

With the good weather so far Richmond says the plan is for the outdoor games to start this week with softball starting this Sunday.

“I just talked to the grounds department and they are currently painting the fields,” Richmond said. “Outdoor sports start this Sunday if the weather holds up.”

Marty Kauffman

mkauf036@uwsp.edu

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