By Aizak Miller 

Sports Editor 

With AMI days piling up. Blue Springs South activities staff and coaches have been trying to reschedule games, work past the cancellation of swim meets and figure out practice schedules, all while keeping athletes motivated and engaged.  

“I think we had to cancel 11 events last week,” said Activities Director Jimmy Cain.  

AMI (Alternate methods of instruction) days are when students learn from home for the day because of weather.  

This time of the year with AMI days, it can be difficult for coaches working with their athletes as well. The Jaguars swim and dive coach, Errich Oberlander, girls basketball coach, Kory Lower, both said that staying in routine is the hardest part.  

“It made our routine change obviously, it was hard to keep everyone as motivated as we usually are after break,” Oberlander said.  

“We do better with a routine and getting out of that routine for a little bit of time was the hardest thing for us,” Lower said.   

One of the biggest hits for the swim and dive team was because of the snow days they did not get to attend one of the biggest meets of the year, which is on the Mizzou campus.  

“It was demoralizing for our varsity girls, as it is the meet everyone looks forward to the most. It is also the meet that we train specifically for as our big test before conference and state,” said Oberlander.  

While people were snowed in and did not have a lot going on, the activities staff was busy.

“Even though nobody was in the building for most of the week, it was a busy week for us because there were so many games rescheduled, not only games but trying to figure out practices and if it is safe to practice,” said Cain.  

Although games were rescheduled and there was not any in-person school, both the swim and dive and basketball teams were still able to get most of their days of practice in.  

“We missed two regularly scheduled practices but when you miss even just a few of those training days it can make a difference,” said Oberlander.  

“We were still able to practice three out of the four AMI days, which was good because we had a lot of days off during winter break and almost went a month without playing a game,” said Lower.  

This time of the year can be difficult for winter sports teams and the activities staff with all the work that must go in rescheduling games and figuring out practice for just having a couple of days of AMI days. The hardest part for Cain is communication.  

“All the people that are involved in a game or activity, having to find officials, table workers, making sure the dates work with our opponents. A lot of phone calls, emails and texting going on,” said Cain.