Spring sports are at the very end of the year and a lot of students struggle with balancing the end of the school year work with sports. Not only because of past COVID-19 years but it seems that spring sports can inflict with students’ summer plans. As such in past years with balancing with COVID-19 in high school, spring sports did not start until April, when they were actually supposed to start in February. As it seems this current year, many student athletes are thankful that the season has started earlier, however due to this and the current status of how progressively far sports are going in. It seems that a lot of spring sports will be making playoffs, which will then be going into students’ summer plans. 

“This is my first high school season, and the team and I are doing very well to the point where I think we will make the playoffs. However, I have my brother’s senior trip planned right after the end of the year ends. So hopefully sports and summer aren’t going to inflict,” freshman Will Rodny stated. 

Many students try to prepare for the end of summer to then make plans for the future. However, with spring sports ending so early sometimes students will have to work around the high school season to ensure a fun and productive summer. 

“Last year the season started so late, that my mom wasn’t sure if we should take are annual summer trip to Cancun. But thankfully we could move the trip layer into the summer to still go on it,” senior Grace Lichty stated. 

Many students look forward to the summer as an escape from sports and all other high school activities. While some students like to have something to do over the summer or even look forward to when the season ends, even if their team isn’t doing the greatest. 

“I’m doing track and field as of right now. Track and field I feel is more fun than the football season probably because I don’t take track and field as seriously as I would for football. But with the track season it’s more track meets than games so I do like that better,” junior Sam Beers said. 

As Beers stated, many athletes in track like how there are not an abundant number of games unlike there was for his football season. With this the track season is different from other sports like baseball or lacrosse, track and field has certain qualifiers that will go farther into state qualifying. 

“This year I’m hoping to make state qualifying like I did last year. With that seeing some of the races I have been doing exceedingly well in, I hope by qualifying it doesn’t affect my summer plans,” sophomore Nate Lumaye said. 

All athletes here at Air Academy High School look forward to pursuing spring sports. However, with COVID-19 being a thing of the past, a lot of students will now have to adapt to how a normal season works and coordinate their summer plans with high school sports. No matter where the season will take athletes this spring, all athletes deserve the time off for a relaxing and joy filled summer away from sports.