Perk up, it's spring

 March Madness, Opening Day, The Masters & April Showers

The early months of spring are certainly eventful in the athletic landscape, and I am going to outline the five best things athletically about the weather turning.

5) Running and biking outside - Hibernating through the winter, long distance athletes can finally come out of hiding once the calendar turns to March and April. I even see the people who may not be built for long distance sports out doing their best. These athletes better get their workouts in while the weather is still bearable, because once the months turn to June/ July it will be too hot to run outside.

4) Golf and Tennis season - Tennis outside has the same problem running and biking outside has, it gets too hot during the summer.  The best time to play is during the spring and fall. With that, tennis calls for great exercise and a lot of fun when you are competing against someone close to your skill level. Golf is great because you can play with anyone as long as they hit the ball forward each shot. Spoken differently, people of all skill levels can enjoy a day at the links. Golf in the northeast is tough because the season really only is from May to October, but played with the right people, a round could be the best 4 hours of your week.

3) March Madness - What more is there to say; as a person who loathes the NBA I think the NCAA tournament is one of the most exciting events in American sports. With college athletes fulfilling dreams competing with the best of the best, upsets every round of the tournament, and athletes leaving everything on the floor, I think it is a great event. Entering a bracket pool is common practice around almost every workplace, or friend group and every person who makes a bracket has before the tournament starts no matter how much college basketball you watch. When that first upset occurs it's the talk of the sports media and water coolers around the country.

2) Recreational Sports Leagues - I would be remiss if I did not mention the classic beer softball league, pickup basketball league or a baseball league. The primetime for any of these leagues is in the fall and in the spring, and they are the talk of any friend group in a major city like New York.

1) Opening Day - Freshly cut grass, the sounds of the ball hitting the bat or glove and the smell of hotdogs and peanuts. These are the experiences you get in a ballpark, and nothing compares to the day the baseball season starts. On day one every team has an equal chance to make the world series, and that glimmer of hope is what makes opening day so great for any baseball fan. That is why opening day takes number one on this list.