Here we are, a week into February and all winter sports will be back to running this week.
Any other year, some sports would be starting the post-season about now or getting into those last final weeks of games. Not this year. All winter sports went on a pause mid-November. Slowly sports have come back with non-contact sports the first to have a go. Skiing has been racing and heads to regionals this week. Clarkston Boys Swim and Dive had their second meet last week and boys bowling had their first two competitions last week.
Now contact sports – girls basketball, boys basketball, ice hockey, competitive cheer and wrestling have the green light to go. It took all I had not to squeal on the media Zoom call with Michigan High School Athletic Association last Thursday.
On the flip side, while waiting for all sports to get the okay during this crazy COVID-time, each email or update would have the Backstreet Boys’ “Quit Playing Games With My Heart” playing in my head. (Yes, I know the song. And, also yes sometimes I walk around with a soundtrack going on in my head and I may, or may not break into song.)
I know – there are some mixed opinions out there about athletics being back. There are mixed opinions about some schools going back face-to-face. There are a lot of mixed opinions about everything.
Me? It’s good for the kids. It’s good for their well-being. It’s good to see a glint of sparkle in their eyes excited to be back when masks cover their smiles. I say this as a parent, a former athlete and, yes, a reporter.
They want to play and have been following protocols so they can play. Some I have talked to shared they have kept each other accountable. .
Back to the soundtrack which runs in my head. Reba McEntire’s “The Greatest Man I Never Knew” and Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again” with Charlie Puth on my mind during the weekend. Saturday was five years to the day my dad passed away.
Jeez, five years. The events and moments that could have been. I still haven’t made memorial pages for my scrapbook. I have the paper. I have the photos. I have had the opportunities. I just haven’t had the heart? The motivation? The inspiration?