The weather is a fickle thing; so fickle in Mississippi that we are just as likely to get a snow storm in March as we are a 100 degree day in October.

You will not hear a sympathetic word for those in television journalism by those who work in a newspaper’s newsroom. There is a “friendly” rivalry and competition between the two that simply prevents anything more than professional courtesy.

That ends though at meteorologists. We have deep respect for their efforts and feel bad for them in the position the challenge of forecasting the weather puts them in.

Then again, I might have discovered the secret for forecasting the weather.

I discovered this secret a few weeks ago and have struggled to determine if I will use my newfound knowledge for good or evil; it is that powerful.

When it comes to predicting weather there are just two words you need to bring about a drought-busting, gutter-wrecking and ditch-drowning rain … play ball.

A few weeks ago, we received the softball schedule from the Vicksburg Girls Softball Association, showing when Sarah Cameron and the rest of her Vicksburg Post 16U softball team will play.

If there was a practice scheduled for Thursday — rain.

Want to get a quick practice on Tuesday — rain.

How about play their first games, scheduled for Monday, April 11 — not just rain, a record-breaking rainfall totaling more than five inches.

I often think that when organizers with local youth leagues sit down to plan out the schedule, they themselves have to chuckle knowing they are tempting fate and Mother Nature. Then again, no matter how good your team is, Mother Nature remains undefeated.

As a proud parent of our softball player, I continue to be amazed and impressed with the leaders of our league and organizers of other youth baseball and soccer leagues. I cannot imagine the logistics they must manage and the personalities they must deal with; all with the goal of giving our boys and girls a chance to play a sport they love.

Games have been postponed and seasons have been extended. Every effort has been made and will be made to get all of the games in. The concession stand business will boom and boys and girls of all ages will get dirty diving for ground balls and grass stains for sliding along the outfield grass.

Now, it’s back to watching the weather, listening to the best forecasts from meteorologists and burning up plenty of data on my weather app.

Play ball!

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Tim Reeves is publisher of The Vicksburg Post. Reach him at tim.reeves@vicksburgpost.com. Readers are invited to submit their opinions for publication.