Comment: Contending with Mother Nature

It was a typical spring afternoon in Florida.

The sun was shining and the temperature had risen well into the 90s; and as I bounced back and forth between assignments, I had a good feeling about the lineup of games I was slated to cover that evening.

But, it didn’t take long before Mother Nature once again decided to throw a curve ball into my mapped-out game plan.

“Not again,” I thought as the thunder reverberated throughout Lakewood Ranch. Could this really be happening for the third day in a row?

Of course we needed the rain, but did it really have to start storming 20 minutes before my Braden River and Lakewood Ranch Little Leaguers were about to take the field? Not to mention the fact that I would be joining them with some pricey camera gear in tow.

Somehow, I knew this wasn’t going to end well. And, sure enough, I was right.

Apparently Mother Nature isn’t quite up to speed on deadlines, because lightning began striking shortly after I rattled off a few frames. The players retreated to their respective dugouts, as I rushed to get to my car before the sky opened up.

It didn’t take long before I began receiving text messages from league organizers, telling me the duration of the Manatee County Cup was officially canceled and leaving me to come up with an alternative.
Unpredictable weather. It’s a sports writer’s best friend — not quite. And, yet, it’s going to be commonplace around here for the next six months.

It’s the time of year when sunscreen, umbrellas and bottled water become my new best friends. So, if later this summer you find Target’s shelves of bottled water depleted — don’t be alarmed. Chances are I’ve got a few cases stashed away in my trunk.

I never know what I’m going to encounter this time of year. It could storm for three straight days, canceling every practice and game in sight, or it could be sunny and 115 degrees.

I’ve encountered just about every weather condition imaginable since I began covering sports. But, no matter how much I enjoy being out on the athletic fields soaking up the sun and perfecting my farmer’s tan, in a couple weeks I’ll be counting down the days until November when I can finally break out a long-sleeve shirt and enjoy a halftime cup of hot chocolate.