When the weather turns cold, and the sun returns to being the legend in the Northwest, many things are forced to adapt to the new conditions. The same is often used for the ambition to continue being active even though the weather is less than perfect. While many athletes decide to put their ambitions aside during the winter season, many other athletes use the conditions to start other games that would otherwise be impossible. Athletes take part in sports during this season that are either indoors such as basketball, wrestling, etc., or activities that utilize the frosty conditions such as ice skating, snowboarding, etc. While I am not very interested in winter time games, I am fascinated by how people can take a day where other people say “the weather sucks today,” and be able to find a way to keep on having fun even though there is no sun. Winter sports, in my opinion, are a true sign of human ingenuity.
The base of most winter sports (as you might be able to see) is… snow. While snow is bad for a number of things such as driving, going to school and playing bocce ball, some of the most known winter sports take place outside in the snow such as snowboarding, skiing, sledding, etc. These are growing rapidly, and for good reason. The activities offer different options to be active during the winter season, while still being fully competitive. Local snowboarder Owen Day stated: “I enjoy snowboarding because it’s a fun activity, one that is fun with friends and by myself. It gives me a boost of adrenaline as I carve my way down the mountain… Everyone is having their own good time and there’s definitely a unique culture present. Just the feeling, the experience of standing on top of a mountain of snow and looking down at the sights is refreshing.” One of my personal favorites during this time is winter golf. There are fewer cooler sights than chipping a golf ball in a random direction and watching the snow from the swing fly. Anywhere from Olympic level figure skating, to even just having a good old-fashioned snowball fight in the yard, snow sports are a fun way to keep active during the winter season, along with having a lot of fun.
For those who want to keep active during the winter season, but don’t want to be cold outside, there are other sports that can be played indoors during this time so you won’t be rushing for a warm blanket. One of the most popular indoor games played during this time is basketball. While basketball can be played outdoors anytime of the year, it is played more competitively during the winter season due to other games such as baseball and football that take precedence because of the weather. Another fun game to play indoors is Wiffleball to practice baseball in a controlled environment. There are winter sports that can be played indoors, so you don’t have to worry about finding a warm winter coat before starting.
Winter sports are a fun way to keep active during the cold season. There are games to please almost any athlete whether you enjoy the outdoor weather or an environment where you don’t need to find immediate warmth after partaking in. Either way, there are more ways to stay active during the winter season, so go out and keep playing everybody.