Fall sports practices along with heat acclimatization for football began Monday, in a week that would have been the original start of game competition.
The PIAA decided to push back the start of fall sports two weeks prior to voting to proceed with the season. Frustrating for some, but the wait will be well worth it.
While not every school across the state will participate in fall sports in 2020, for those that will, it brings some sense of normalcy back to the student-athletes who have already missed out on so much.
The decision by the PIAA to leave playing or not up to the individual schools was smart move.
Now, there is preseason excitement across the state. The yearly chatter of favorites and sleeper teams to watch this year. No one knows right now if the entire season will be played out, but at least there will be a start.
Student-athletes should have the opportunity to attend school in-person, school functions and after school activities, including participating in athletics.
The preparations are being made so student-athletes can do so in the upcoming weeks. It is why administrators worked so hard this summer to put health and safety plans in place so student-athletes can return to the classrooms and the fields of play this fall.
There may be a fear every time parents send children off to school or games, but that fear had probably been there already, just for different reasons.
Children face a lot of challenges and struggles in their daily lives. The resilience of so many is impressive to say the least.
It is an ever-changing world we live in. We may never return to the normal we were used to. It is about finding ways to make children feel comfortable, safe, educated and confident in whatever they are doing now, though, rather than dwelling in the past.
The best coaches and teachers aren’t the ones who just teach you about the game or a subject, they are the ones who teach you life lessons as well. The county is full of both.
It is important for everyone to appreciate the time they have doing whatever it is they do. Whether it is athletics or schooling, it will all come to an end some day.
There is a shelf life on every athletes playing career. Savor every practice, even in the dog days of summer when the heat is getting the best of you.
Appreciate having the opportunity to go to school in-person and have a teacher provide you a lesson rather than trying to do it all by yourself.
While Monday was only the beginning into another fall sports season, it was a big day. It was a day of progress for so many. Coaches and athletes had the opportunity to compete, teach and learn.
Games will be here before we know it. The next step is for fans to be permitted in the stands. Without fans, games lose some of their luster. But for now, we can all appreciate the conversations with athletes about how practice went and the anticipation of the upcoming fall seasons.