SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – Spring is officially here, but outside it doesn’t look or feel like it. This long winter is impacting many people — including athletes of spring sports.

Soccer fields in Sioux Falls are still snow-covered — not an ideal situation for players anxious to start their season.

“Everyone’s ready — players, coaches, referees, me. Everyone’s ready to get out, get in the sun, be able to kind of run outdoors a little bit. So hopefully the sun comes out and the snow melts,” Josh Perkins, recreations and community outreach director at Dakota Alliance Soccer Club said.

Last year, Dakota Alliance started their season the week before Easter. This year, they’re just practicing inside and hoping the Spring weather shows up soon.

“We started later than we want, but we’re getting everyone ready, we have a lot of indoor space available for people to practice in. We have games going on at the Sanford Fieldhouse as soon as we are able to begin,” Perkins said.

Kirubel Yerge has been doing his own drills on the Dakota Alliance indoor practice field as he waits for his season to start. Yerge no longer plays for Dakota Alliance, but he does play for teams in Minnesota and Ethiopia.

“I want to be outside but, you know, you can’t do nothing about it – it’s nature. So just got to do what you got to do,” Yerge said.

He offers this advice for any players hoping to keep their skills sharp while they wait for the sun to come out.

“Put the work in. You can do home workouts, at the gym. Just touch the ball. Everyday, if you just touch the ball, you just keep getting better. So just touch the ball as much as you can each day,” Yerge said.

Dakota Alliance says in previous years, their season has even begun in March.