North's Ben Wood moves on teammate David Therault-Lago during the Titans' first official practice of the 2025 season on Monday. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – There’s the first day of spring – and then there’s the first day of spring high school sports.

Both bring anticipation, and well, sometimes rain. That was the case on Monday as spring teams had to do their first official tryouts/workouts in gyms and indoor facilities, but there was still a sense of enthusiasm nonetheless.

For Nashua North boys lacrosse player Ben Wood, it’s his second season. He’s also a football player, but he had to admit being anxious for Monday. Just a tad.

“A little bit,” he said with a smile. “I was getting a little bit of butterflies.”

It’s not just with players. Coaches get geared up for that first day too. For example, North baseball coach Zach Harris has his father, Mike, on staff, and he had lots of advice for him. Mike Harris has been a coach for over three decades.

“I always tell him, I get nervous for day one,” Harris said. “I always feel like a little anxious and a little nervous for Day One. And he’s told me since I started coaching 13 years ago now, that the day you don’t feel that any more, is probably the day you’re done.

“So I embrace that nervousness now. It just means I’m just exctied to get going, to, as you say, embark on that three month journey of leading a group of guys. I’m excited for that, it’s such a great group of kids that I’m excited to compete with every day over the next few months.”

The pouring rain throughout the day had both lacrosse practices at North inside, baseball in the medium gym and lacrosse in the large gym.

Stellos is still being prepared for the regular season, and the hope, Titans coach Matt Muser said, was that perhaps sometime the last week of practice before games begin teams could get on there.

“It’s not ideal, but if we need to be inside in a gym, then we need to be inside of a gym,” Muser said. “My freshman year in college I was inside of a gym every practice until midway through April. The adversity that we’re hit with, we have to do the best that we can with it.” Fields have been cleared to be used at the schools, as both Harris and South baseball coach James Gaj said they were hoping to get on their diamonds yesterday until the rain arrived between 11 and noon.Gaj is hoping for today while Harris said he’ll try for later in the week.

They’re all used to practicing indoors when necessary, especially in the preseason.

“It’s not ideal, but we’ve had to do it, you know New England weather,” Harris said. “Fields were cleared last week which is amazing, and I actually held off making the call to go inside until this morning, asking parents and students to be flexible with me. I thought we might get lucky there a little bit before the rain took over. … Hopefully we’ll get outside soon.”

Harris said his numbers are up, probably by 10 more than a year ago. And he had the returnees from last year asking to get gym time early in the morning before school as far back as early December.

At South, meanwhile, enthusiasm reigned supreme.

“We’re excited,” Gaj said. “We have a strong sophomore class that we’re building around and our seniors showed tremendous leadership during the offseason.”

Nashua North baseball players watch a drill during Monday’s practice in the school’s medium gym. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

Nashua North baseball players watch a drill during Monday’s practice in the school’s medium gym. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

The numbers are good for boys lacrosse at North, up to about 30, with 14 freshmen – but only three have played before. But they’ll all get JV experience rather than be thrown to the varsity wolves. “They’ll get some good quality reps,” he said.

For North’s David Therault-Lago, it was his first lacrosse practice as a player ever. He’s a football player, and was originally going to be the lacrosse team manager, but decided to play. “Just the team,” he said when asked why.

Muser was excited for the day, just as Harris and Gaj were.

“You’re always looking forward to it,” Muser said. “We talk every single day as a coaching staff what we can do to try to improve the team. Now it’s all about implementing it and sticking with our plan.”

On to Day Two, and through April, May, and part of June.