Spring is a whole different ballgame.

After being trapped in high school gyms all winter for basketball, I’m back outside for prep tennis season. In addition to some regular matches, I covered two of the biggest local tournaments during the past two weekends: the Chattanooga Rotary tournament and the Champions Club High School Classic.

But during those four days of tennis, I was still easing my way back into the new season and forgot some cardinal rules of the spring season.

Rain delays everything: A steady shower will clear competitors off any tennis court. Rain delayed and modified the format of the Rotary tournament. And just the potential of rain caused the Champions Club tournament to switch from playing best-of-three sets to pro sets on the first day.

Bring antihistamines: In the heart of spring, I’m allergic to anything living and green. My eyes start to water, my nose itches and I sneeze a lot within five minutes of being outside. This makes sitting outside all day for a tennis tournament impossible without some kind of medication. Unless it rains.

Wear sunscreen: Just like the song. The Southern sun is strong, way stronger than what I grew up with. During my first year of covering tennis, I was sunburnt by the first week of April. Last weekend, my face was lightly burned. I grew up wearing sunscreen to the beach, but I guess I have to get used to wearing it to work, too.