Who doesn’t love summer? Certainly I do.
It’s true, I’ve lived in Montana all my life, but as far as temperatures and snow go, I’m not a winter type of guy. I don’t ski, I don’t snowboard, I don’t ride snowmobiles, I don’t particularly love ice covering everything known to man – In fact this past winter, on more than one occasion, I had to pour hot water on my car just to get my gas cap off.
And since the last two winters have been especially brutal, I have really enjoyed the last two months of sunshine, heat and even the thunderstorms which have accompanied some hot and muggy days in Havre.
And there’s still plenty of those days left.
I’ve also enjoyed the summer sports in our area as much as I always have. It was fun to watch baseball games, softball games, the fair, and everything in between. And surprisingly, with the exception of one horrible 95 in the Rotary Blast, my golf game has been pretty steady this year.
But as much as I love the summer months, and as much as I’m sure the kids of Havre aren’t ready to go back to school yet, I’m ready for the fall to get here.
Maybe it was the end of the NFL Lockout, I’m not certain, but something triggered my internal clock and released the chemical inside of me which makes me crave a new fall sports season.
The MSU-Northern volleyball team is going to start practicing in just a few days, and the Skylights, along with the Havre High golf teams will be the first to get the new season started, and I just can’t wait. It also won’t be long until the Northern football team, and the Blue Pony football, volleyball and cross country teams are back at work, and that’s exciting.
It’s exciting because it’s the beginning of a new year for me, and for the countless numbers of young athletes who take to the fields, the courts, the golf courses and the gyms each year in search of something more than just personal glory. They are in search of a way to express themselves, to achieve things they dream about as youngsters and to become part of something special – a team.
The start of a new fall sports season is also full of possibilities.
Of course, people make predictions all the time, but no one is really sure about the outcome of any team, or any sporting event to until they’re actually out there, in the heat if competition. That’s why they play the games.
And it’s also exciting for me because it’s always new. The names I cover on the front of the jersey stay the same: Ponies, Skylights, Knights, Sugarbeeters, Stars, the list could go on. But with every new season comes new highs, new lows, new names, new stars, new stories and plenty of thrills, excitement and above all else, fun. That’s what sports are about. Fun.
And starting a new season is always fun. It’s fun for the kids who play the games, the coaches who coach them, all of the great sports fans in Havre and the surrounding areas, and it’s especially fun for me.
And while I’m no hurry to see the first snowflakes of the impending winter, and I’m still in golf mode, I am in a hurry to get to Blue Pony Stadium to see a football game. I am in a hurry to get to gyms to see college and high school volleyball, and when that comes, basketball, wrestling, and winter sports won’t be too far behind.
The calendar has now turned to August, so enjoy the rest of the summer, because the games are definitely about to begin. And I for one, can’t wait.
