Student athletes adjust spring practices after back-to-back nor'easters

WALPOLE, Mass. -- Back-to-back snow storms are forcing high school sports teams off their snow-covered fields and into gyms and parking lots to practice for the spring season.

At Walpole High School, lacrosse teams are training in the parking lot, softball players are practicing on basketball courts in the gym and members of the track team are digging out as part of their work out.

Sophomore Bella Lawlor brought a shovel to school and got to work with her teammates and coach after running Tuesday.

"We usually go into the weight room to do our upper body workout, but might as well clear out the track, so we can get our workouts in," the 15-year-old said. "You can feel it. It’s definitely working your upper body and your core."

The girls carefully shoveled only the top layer of snow so as not to damage the track, hoping warmer temperatures will melt the rest.

"We'll be in the parking lot sometimes doing our workouts, and sometimes it's hard, because we want to get on the streets, but it's kind of icy, and we want to get on the track, but it's covered with snow," said senior Sarah Tierney. "It’s a good team bonding experience. We're all together shoveling the track."

Athletic Director Ron Dowd told Boston 25 News it's not the first time teams have moved their practices into parking lots, but this year's relentless snow is unusual, especially for the start of the spring season. Wednesday's approaching storm will only add to a layer of snow that never seems to be melting.

"Right now, it's just get any space we can," Dowd said. "We've got teams going inside. We've got teams in the gym, teams in the parking lots. Hopefully sometime we'll get them out on the tennis courts if this ever melts. But it's definitely been a challenge, and obviously this week is going to present another challenge."

Dowd hopes to get ice melt pellets on the fields to melt the rest of the snow as soon as possible, but he expects the baseball and softball seasons could be affected.

While the teams are limited in what they can do, Walpole High School athletes know, once their games and meets begin, every school they will face is dealing with the same wild weather.

"It’s just typical New England," Bella said. "You never really know what you're going to get with the weather."

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