Weather not only thing that complicates schools’ sports when rescheduling events

Winter in Iowa can be a stressful time for some with consequences later in the year.

Students may enjoy the snow days now, but all the makeup days in June will not be appreciated.

With all of the recent weather cancellations of school events, kids don't have to deal with homework or practice.

However, it gives an athletic director a lot more to do.

Washington High School Athletic Director Brent Van Weelden and Superintendent Willie Stone have a lot to debate when canceling, postponing and rescheduling games.

'We don't have any definite policy that says if there's no school, then there's no games,” Van Weelden said. 'It boils down to the safety of the kids.”

If the event is going to be conducted and endangers the safety of the kids, then the decision is made to postpone and possibly cancel.

With the girls postseason so close (Class 1A starts Feb. 7, while 2A and 3A start Feb. 9), rescheduling any lost girls' games is all but impossible. There is still time to reschedule boys' games, but wrestling duals and tournaments are all but impossible.

The Mid-Prairie boys' and girls' games from Monday that were rescheduled for tonight are still on, but subject to cancellation.

An athletic director has to confer with many people before a decision is made.

'It's not the bus we are really worried about, it is more about the kids being able to get to and from the bus,” Van Weelden said. 'The decision is more about the safety of our students. Are the roads safe for them to get to and from school safely.”

A lot of the kids live in rural areas where all roads don't get cleared like the roads in town do.

'You don't want to put even one kid's life in jeopardy,” Van Weelden said.

Stone and Van Weelden weigh a multitude of things before making their decisions.

'He and I talk quite frequently about what's best,” Van Weelden said. 'Ultimately he makes the decision more than I do.”

There is another helper in the mix.

'Thank God for Karla Garrett because she helps me out a lot,” Van Weelden said.

Clear Creek-Amana was supposed to play Washington's boys Saturday, but that game was canceled because CCA has to make up dates with teams in its own conference before any nonconference dates are played.

'That is one of the biggest problems we are running into with games scheduled against the WAMAC,” Van Weelden said. 'They had 19 of 21 games on the conference's schedule are conference games and they have to get those played, so those have priority in being rescheduled over nonconference games. That is what we are running into now.”

Just finding an alternate date with another school is not the end of the problems. Referees must be found before any game can be played and often the original ones are not available.

'There's already a shortage of officials, so that is a big deal,” Van Weelden said. 'We can't finalize the game until we have the officials for sure. That may be the biggest thing.”

Other things to consider are transportation if buses are available because there are junior high, freshman and junior varsity activities to consider. 'It's important to make sure we have enough bus drivers for all of our events at different locations,” Van Weelden said.

Concessions people have signed up for certain date and then the date gets changed, so they might not be available and that applies to people taking money at the door as well.

Winter in Iowa can be a stressful time.