The first day of spring, Friday, March 20, is a little more than a week away, but like recent years, high school spring sports teams are in a familiar position in early March.

A late winter with periods of heavy snow have once again caused baseball, softball, lacrosse, tennis and track and field teams' issues with their outdoor practice schedules that began last Monday, March 2.

Due to covered playing fields across the area, most teams have been forced inside gymnasiums to replicate their practice situations. Volleyball, on the other hand, is fortunate enough to remain practicing on the court but might have to share some space with other varsity teams.

It may not be the ideal situation, but recent years have made the switch indoors a bit smoother.

"We are making due with wherever we can practice," said Emmaus boys lacrosse head coach Scott Ketcham. "Our motto is anywhere, anytime, anyplace. We can find ways to get better in any situation and adapting is a life skill and lesson we can teach to these eager players.

"Last week we could only practice on Monday and Friday in a gym, and Saturday in the Emmaus High School parking lot."

Two snowstorms last week, including one on Thursday that brought in excess of six inches to the Lehigh Valley, hurt any chance of teams practicing outside. When school closes for weather, teams usually can't practice at all those days.

"We can't practice on those days we are closed or sent home early," said Ketcham. "So we couldn't finish tryouts and start putting in our schemes."

First-year Liberty softball head coach Sam Carrodo and the Hurricanes spent time in the gym on Saturday and last Monday, the first day of spring practices.

"The rest of the days, the school was closed so we couldn't do a thing," Carrodo said. "We didn't even get a chance to get outside in a parking lot because it was full of snow. We couldn't do anything."

Holding tryouts has been one of the more difficult aspects for both Carrodo Liberty softball coach Nora Borger. With minimal practice time and their first league game scheduled for March 21, solidifying the team and making roster cuts is essential at this time of the season.

"I had a full week of tryouts to pick my team [last year]," Borger said. "That's a little different."

With temperatures projected to hover in the mid 40s and low 50s this week, both coaches have been to their respective home fields in recent days. And despite the higher temperatures, it's highly unlikely their scrimmages set for this week will get played.

"I walked up there yesterday and the field has about eight inches of snow on it," Borger said. "It's not light snow because it's been rained on, and it's ice. It's real heavy and very packed.

"I was walking across it and the snow was up to my knees," Carrodo said. "I don't know how fast that snow is going to disappear."

Emmaus has the luxury of artificial turf for lacrosse, so after the melting is fininshed, the teams won't need to wait for the surface to dry the way baseball and softball teams will.

"I have no idea what teams with grass surfaces are going to do," said Ketcham.