It may be getting warm now, but not too long ago, snow, ice, and rain plagued our school’s softball season. Getting out of school was nice, but the girls just wanted to have fun and do what they do best. Days became weeks and still not a single game was played and practice started to bore them. During this time, the Lady Patriots had to cancel 10 to 15 games due to the weather. On the bright side, even though they couldn’t get on the field to play, they had the turf field and “The Barn” with batting cages to help them get better throughout all the bad weather.

The weather did have its benefits. Catcher McKenna Ray explains, “I feel like it has brought us closer as a team having to spend more time together in tight spaces, but it also affected us in how well we play due to the lack of practice.” It gave them the opportunity to get better, to correct every swing, to make every pitch perfect, and to work on their fundamentals. This is just what it did for the game side. It also gave them some team bonding time as well. It gave them time to talk as a team and work out the kinks.

But we weren’t the only school that was affected by the snow and ice. Many schools across Alabama had to cancel games as well as we have; in all, over 200 games were cancelled during times of bad weather. The teams that had the opportunity to play had the increased risk of injury because of field conditions.

At Bob Jones, we are fortunate to have a “Barn” to be able to hit, pitch, and condition in to get better as a team. Some schools, including James Clemens, don’t have a hitting facility. Bob Jones also has a turf field to go over fielding situations, bunt coverage, and game-like situations.

Turf is definitely different than dirt. First baseman Darian Mitchell states, “It [the weather] definitely damaged us as a whole. Not being able to simulate game-like situations hurt us.” The dirt has different states, especially after it rains and the turf is always bouncy. So, if players always hit it to the outfield the same way, it will just bounce. Dirt, after it rains, is soft and players have to adjust because the ball will not bounce; it will just roll. If it is dry, there is more of a chance for a bad hop or more bounces.

Even though the girls have had many cancellations, our Lady Patriots look forward to the rest of the season and hopefully the weather won’t rain on their parade.

If you are interested in seeing the Lady Patriots in action, if the rain stays away, then here are two home games that you can attend:

April 21, 2015- SCOTTSBORRO –Varsity: 4:30

April 23, 2015- DECATUR- Varsity: 4:30 (Senior Night)