In a normal winter, Mckenzie Didio ’22 would be spending her days after school at basketball practice. From December until the end of February, her focus would be solely on basketball. However, this year, Didio has had to learn to balance both playing basketball and lacrosse.
In December, Governor Ned Lamont postponed the start of the winter season until Jan. 19. This delay, which also moved back the end of the winter season, has caused many athletes who participate in winter and spring sports to have to balance getting ready for their spring season while finishing their winter season.
“We have [basketball] practice Monday through Friday plus games,” Didio said, “so I kind of save the weekends for lacrosse and make sure I’m getting to the field or running or doing whatever I can to stay in shape to be ready for lacrosse season.”
According to the CIAC, the winter season will end on March 14, with end of season tournaments stretching into March 28. The spring season will begin the next day on March 29.
Some student athletes are worried about how the quick turnaround will impact the season but believe that it will be mangabale.
“I think it will be tight,” Jack Murphy ’22, a member of the basketball and sailing team, said, “but there will be enough time because both seasons have been shortened.”
That being said, the altered spring season means that their season is stretching into the very end of the school year, which will also impact the summer club sport season.
“Some people might not like it because it goes into club season, but I think club coaches will do their best to schedule around that,” Didio said.
However, Murphy believes there are positives to the spring season ending later.
“I’m looking forward to it because it starts later in the year so it’s warmer out and I may not have to wear a drysuit,” Murphy said.
While there are still unknowns to how the winter and spring season may play out, many are looking forward to sports being able to return to help establish some sort of normalcy.
Marty Lisevick, the Staples Athletic Director, is just looking forward to finally starting the sports season.
“[I’m] Very happy to be starting winter sports and getting past all of this,” Lisevick said.