There is no other place in the world I would rather be than at UD in the spring. The best part of the season, without question, is the renaissance of sports long dormant since the fall.

Sports are important to college kids, perhaps at times more so than classes and academic pursuits. Take a typical conversation between many over the past weeks and it will undoubtedly contain much talk of March Madness and the state of one's bracket. But college basketball aside, outdoor sports begin to reclaim their prominence with the break in the weather.

Outdoor intramurals are back and getting into full swing as the cabin fever of most students has reached a boiling point, resulting in a need to get outside. At a time when almost all energy should be geared towards one's studies, this often isn't the case.

Games of softball and football are often too tempting for a student who has to decide between the library and Stuart Field. You don't really need to do the reading for class tomorrow, right? Well, despite many types of intramurals, for some informal pick-up games are more their style.

Those lazy weekday afternoons after class are best spent playing all sorts of them.

For some, sports can include beer pong and flip-cup. While others, myself included, prefer sports be something that one can drive home safely after completing. Pick up games of football and baseball scratch this itch. While most would consider football to be the more dangerous of these two, I actually have a friend who was almost stricken to a wheel chair after a freak backyard accident while playing a game very similar to baseball. Allow me to tell you his story.

As Doug made his approach to home plate some say he exuded an unusually high amount of confidence; I wasn't there to see it, so I can't say for sure. Nevertheless, he entered the batters box and anxiously awaited the pitch, which he presumed would surely result in at least a triple.

As the pitch was delivered he swung with such force that his knee twisted as no knee should. Maybe it was the wet grass, perhaps it was his worn shoes, it may have even been the lighting, but no matter what it was, he was hurt and hurt bad. The cartilage in his knee had torn and what should have been a relaxing day at a backyard barbecue turned into a living Hell.

Doug has never really recovered, both physically and emotionally. He won't speak of that day and even mentioning it can throw him into a tizzy. Now, you can blame this accident on his lack of athletic ability or even a poor number in the genetic lottery, but in any case, use extreme caution while playing sports.

Even more caution is needed if several cans of Beast have been consumed before the event. While this is not the case in most sports, many Saturday afternoon volleyball games in the Ghetto have turned into injury bloodbaths do to participant's blood alcohol content. So, whatever or wherever you play your games make sure to be careful and be sober. Unless, of course, beer pong or flip-cup are more your style, which if it is, then drink away! To each his own, after all.