As winter sports were winding down and spring sports were firing up I found myself reminiscing on my early years of high school. As an underclassmen I always had seniors reminding me, “This is going to go by fast so take advantage of the short time you have in high school.” As I sat there listening to the regret in their voices I thought, “No way, four years is a long time.” Looking back I now have a greater understanding and appreciation for what those upperclassmen were talking about four short years ago. Unfortunately, I feel high school is something we all take for granted. We find ourselves in this routine of life where we wake up, attend school, then attend our extracurricular activities. Then, we go home, do our homework, eat, shower and shortly after fall asleep. As we get lost in this routine we oftentimes do not take the time to slow down and appreciate the little things that wrongly go unnoticed.
With that being said, in the brief time between winter and spring sports I found myself envying the underclassmen, wanting to be in their shoes, wanting the opportunity to represent the community I was born and raised in. Thankfully, I still had my last year of competing in a spring sport… or so I thought.
This is a perfect example of me taking things for granted and just assuming I would have one last opportunity to represent my school and community in the spring. With the recent COVID-19 outbreak, athletes across the nation who have worked extremely hard in preparation of this season could have it taken away in the blink of an eye. Although this would be devastating and heartbreaking to most athletes, safety must come first. As a member of the WIAA LEAP Committee I have been fortunate to work alongside many of the WIAA staff members, it is very apparent that they have their hearts and priorities in the right place. They are always about doing what's best for student-athletes. No one knows more than the WIAA staff how much time and dedication is put in by athletes, their families, coaches and school administration. I am confident that the WIAA is doing all they can to proceed with the spring state tournaments in some capacity, but this decision could very well be out of their control.
High school sports and high school in general, is truly a blessing in disguise. Overall, there are many little things that go into play that make a school run but essentially we take school itself for granted more than anything else in our daily lives. Students occasionally, bash on school and are unappreciative of the opportunities being presented to them by the administration, teachers, mentors and coaches. Hopefully, now that these opportunities are being taken away for six weeks students will take the time to slow down, reflect and see how lucky they are to be where they are.
I am a firm believer in living in the moment and taking advantage of the opportunities that are brought forward. I push myself everyday to not be the person who lets this affect my attitude, because in the end one can only control what they can control. So I challenge you, the reader, to take a moment; sit down, reflect and think about how your school district has impacted your life. If a specific peer, or teacher comes to mind during your reflection that has had a positive impact on your life, reach out and let them know how thankful you are for the time you have had with them. Just as school and spring sports have been taken away in the blink of an eye so can life, so do not sit back waiting for someone else to reach out. Control what you can control. |