Birds are beginning to chirp, flowers are blooming and the sun is peeking from behind the clouds… unless you live in Kansas.

Spring sports have recently begun and the weather in Kansas has not reflected that. With last week’s weather having a high of 43 degrees and on some days, snowing, many sports have struggled to practice and even compete in the low temperatures.

According to track coach Damian Rodriguez, the cold weather has affected the quality of the team’s practices.

“It has been hard for the team because they cannot get the full experience. With lack of runways and mats when practicing inside, they cannot meet their full potential,” Rodriguez said.

Due to the snow and rain, other sports have had to practice indoors as well, making it harder to find places to practice.

“It’s hard when softball, soccer and tennis all practice inside because there is not enough room, so normally it is crammed when we have to be inside,” said sophomore varsity track member Chase Culver.

Long distance runners, such as junior Alyssa Perry, find running in the cold weather challenging at times.

“The weather has definitely made workouts harder than usual, and it is tough with the cold wind, and sometimes snow, hitting your face while trying to hit goal times,” Perry said.

Not only are practices affected by the cold temperatures, but track meets have also been postponed and even canceled due to the weather, causing the team to miss out on opportunities to improve.

Kansas’ cold weather has also caused more injuries than usual.

“Kids have gotten and sick and some minor muscle injuries have occured, which makes it difficult to run and be at the top of our game,” Rodriguez said.

These injuries have also lead to shortened practices and relay teams having to dropout of meets because a member is hurt.

As the spring season continues, DHS spring athletes hope to see more sunny days ahead and plans to make up for the time they have lost because of the weather.