Games will go on outside as long as weather permits

Rachel Arehart

Antelope staff

Fall weather can cause a little havoc in intramurals, but the games go on keeping safety first in mind.

“Bad weather is something that, unfortunately, is a part of living in and offering outdoor programs in Nebraska. Participation does typically go down when weather is less than ideal. That can be moisture, wind or temperature related,” said Andrew Winscot, the Assistant Director of Campus Recreation. Winscot oversees intramurals sports.

Sarah Allen, a senior English education 7-12 major with a coaching endorsement from Ayr, was named last year’s Intramural Player of the Year and she says she will play intramural games as long as they’re not canceled. Allen is involved in intramural softball, sand volleyball, flag football and ultimate Frisbee, which are all played outside in the evenings.

“Obviously you’re always hoping for warm weather, but weather is just part of the fun and challenge of outdoor sports. Even though you don’t always want to, sometimes you just have to adapt to the cold or rain. And on one occasion, snow,” Allen said.

Intramural games are rarely canceled due to weather unless it is severe enough to qualify as unsafe.

“Safety first, we should always side with precaution. With that said, we are not meteorologists so we have to use whatever forecasts or resources that are available. Lightning and severe storm warnings are definite cancellations.” Winscot continued, “However, we do the best we can to get games in as long as the conditions are safe enough to participate in. Depending on what the program is, we can sometimes move indoors in order to get the games in.”

Winscot said as much as 10 to 20 percent of teams forfeit outdoor games due to weather conditions.

“I love to compete, so I am going to play regardless of what the weather is doing. However, it definitely makes the game less enjoyable and can lead to more injuries, which no one wants to see in intramurals,” said Ryan Clark, a junior math and finance major from Kearney. Clark is currently involved in ultimate Frisbee and flag football.

Winscot encourages students to always watch the weather and never risk traveling when the weather is bad. He said their Facebook page is the best place to check if games will be canceled.