I was walking down the hall the other day, and one of the varsity softball players and I looked at each other and simply shook our heads. The day before, we managed to get just two pitches in before the softball game was called due to thunder, lightning, and rain. Her comment: "Well, maybe we will get to play a game this week."

As I write this, I'm beginning a day when we have 12 events scheduled. Though the sun is shining at the moment, after yesterday's soaking rainstorm there is little chance our grounds crew can prepare the fields in time to play any games. After all, the forecast is calling for severe thunder, lightning, hail, and rain moving into our area.

Mother Nature is more often than not unkind to spring sports here. However, nothing parallels what we have had to face in Western Pennsylvania this year. The rainfall in the month of April has been a record-setting 5.02 inches, and it has rained 20 out of 27 days. Most teams have practiced only a few times outdoors, and have been relegated to gyms and parking lots.

So what can the athletic office due to quell some of the inevitable headaches that accompany a wet spring sports season? Here are a few ideas:

Think ahead. Preparing a master schedule of each team is important to quickly understand a reschedule date at the moment of postponement. We have some indoor tennis facilities, and have moved a number of matches indoors regardless of the weather.

To get softball and baseball games in, we have had to resort to switching home games with opponents that have playable fields. Playing doubleheaders has also proved to be helpful when games were canceled the first half of the season.

Communicate, communicate, and communicate some more. When the weather is iffy, having your coaches' cell phone numbers at the ready is essential. They should also all have each other's numbers so that if they are departing after school hours, they can communicate on the status of the game. Giving coaches the number of the bus company is another way to ensure everyone is on board.

Weather forecasts. Take advantage of them, but do not cite them as gospel. I cannot tell you how many days it is sunny until mid-afternoon only to see the clouds start rolling in. A decision might be made to move the contest time up because of the forecast. Other times it may be best to leave game times unchanged because too many changes increase the chance for error. Sometimes, you have to go with your instincts. What makes it tougher today is that the weather is often sensationalized, and that causes panic.

Strive to be mistake free. With the cycle of postponing and rescheduling only have to postpone again, it is very easy to leave someone out of the loop. Constantly reinforcing interactions with those involved in the process is necessary. The worst thing that can happen is to have missed communication that results in not playing on a nice day. The key is to check and recheck and talk through every action that occurs at the time it occurs.

Minimize frustration. The athletic office cannot control the weather. However, everyone is on edge because coaches want and need to get a sense of consistency. Our job is to maintain a calming influence, make light of the situation, and bring sanity to an insane situation. The tough part is that for the athletes, especially seniors on their last go-around, this is not what they signed up for.

Dan Cardone is Athletic Director at North Hills High School in Pittsburgh, Pa. He is a frequent contributor to Athletic Management.