Alvirne's Garrett Hall, left, moves against Nashua South's Daniel Karavanic during a game last season. Both will likely be on the courts today as winter practices are set to begin for all sports. (Telegraph file photo by TOM KING)

The balls will be bouncing, the pucks will be flying, the runners will be stretching, the wrestlers will be rolling on the mats.

It may not officially be winter until three weeks, but as far as local area high school sports are concerned, winter arrives officially today. And the cold temperatures will back that up.

While swimming and bowling have been underway for a week or two, the other sports, including basketball, hockey, wrestling, indoor track, skiing, etc. are all starting tryouts/practices today at high schools all over the area and state.

It will be an interesting start to the winter. There are some new coaches starting in different spots. In ice hockey, the Alvirne-Milford co-op has a new head coach, Jason Dango. But, for the first time in several years, the Nashua North-Souhegan hockey co-op will have the same coach returning after his first year, Chris Zarlenga. The Saber-Titans barely missed the tournament last year.

In basketball, Alvirne grabbed Mitchell Roy, fresh off Roy coaching Profile to a Division IV state title – its first in 20 years – to be its new boys basketball coach. Milford, meanwhile, has tabbed former Broncos head coach Leo Gershgorin to take the varsity boys reins. Gershgorin resigned with less than a week to go in the Alvirne season last year.

And at Souhegan, former Manchester Memorial girls hoop coach Greg Cotreau takes over.

The area has its first hockey tri-op. Hollis Brookline-Derryfield, which had been the Warriors for the last several years, is merging with Merrimack, with Merrimack as the lead school. They’ll compete in Division II, but now the area is without a lead Division III team. Cambpell has had a co-op with Pembroke Academy, which is the lead school for that progam.

Local wresting and indoor track teams should be competititve. In wrestling, after a brief sojourn in Division III, Souhegan will return to Divsion II.