For many teenagers, snow days mean sleeping in, playing hours upon hours of "Call of Duty: Black Ops," and maybe even getting the occasional book report done.
One thing it doesn't mean is extra practice.
Most school districts have a rule that says athletic teams can't practice if school is cancelled. With many schools cancelling class both Tuesday and Wednesday, it means many winter sports athletes haven't practiced since Monday.
For Danville boys basketball coach Lenny Smith, it's worse than that: His Ironmen haven't practiced since last week. They played games Saturday and Monday, and then were shut out of the gym during the snow storm. To make matters worse for Smith, they'll have to have a shortened practice today and Friday due to home games for the girls team.
"We're not getting in enough to tweak anything," Smith says. "That's my main concern. You need to change stuff around; You're in the second half of the season playing teams twice, you want to do things a little differently than the first time.
"But the kids love it," Smith adds. "You don't have to practice, just play games."
The days off are probably a bigger concern for wrestling coaches, especially since the first-round matches of the District 4 Duals Tournament were supposed to be held Wednesday. They've all been rescheduled for tonight, with the quarterfinals, semis and finals still scheduled for Saturday in Milton.
Days off, especially for wrestlers, who often have to cut weight, can be a concern. But Mifflinburg wrestling coach Dave Murray — whose squad brings a 14-1 record into tonight's meet against Warrior Run at Mifflinburg High School — isn't worried.
"My philosophy is, by this point in time my boys are ready to go," he says. "Everyone will be fresh and ready to go as long as they're managing their weight."
Murray says that he gave his kids some workouts to do on their own for Tuesday and Wednesday.
"Just 30-40 minutes," he says. "Stuff they can do on their own: jumping jacks, stance motion, Navy Seal stuff."
Murray added that he isn't worried about the effect the days off will have on his wrestlers who are trying to drop weight.
"Our boys are pretty disciplined," he says. "They're so far into it now that they know the repercussions (for not making weight). ... They're doing it for the team now."
Due to the snow storm, District 4 officials are allowing wrestlers two extra pounds for tonight's weigh-in for the district duals. For example, a wrestler competing at 103 pounds typically can't be higher than 105. But tonight they can be as high as 107.
Although the missed practice and conditioning time is a concern for some, Murray thinks that the tournament might be better for it.
"It all depends on how the kids are trained and their confidence level," he says. "I've seen guys be off for two weeks and come back and they wrestle just as well, if not better."
Smith has seen the same on the basketball court.
"Normally, at this point in the season, it wouldn't be bad to have a day or two off," he says. "Legs are getting tired and after a couple of days off the kids come in and feel like they can jump through the ceiling."
Nevertheless, Smith is still concerned about getting the chance to change some things around as the Ironmen meet many of their foes in the Heartland Athletic Conference Division I for a second time.
"If I have to, I might bump a middle school practice," he says. "And I really don't like to do that — I coached middle school for 10 years."
Smith admits that there are times when, although school has been cancelled, the roads will be fine by the afternoon, and he'll wish he could call his players and get them in the gym.
"But (Danville athletic director Ron) Kanaskie runs a tight ship, and I respect that."
— E-mail comments to tstanford@dailyitem.com
High School Sports
Related Photos
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Mifflinburg's Clark Wagner, bottom, tries to score some points on a tilt against Warrior Run's Andrew Yetter during a dual meet earlier this season. Mifflinburg and Warrior Run meet again tonight in the first round of the District 4 Class AA Dual Meet Tournament at Mifflinburg High School. Robert Inglis/The Daily Item
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