CENTRAL KANSAS – Happy Kansas high school sports eve, high school athletes and Kansans.
Tomorrow is the start of a long journey and goal for every Kansas high school sports team: a state championship.
The hot, August (and eventually into September) heat will pour on many of the athletes as summer turns into fall. Meanwhile, volleyball players will work out just as intensely indoors with the COVID-19 Delta variant becoming more prominent. Let’s hope we can all stay safe and be as normal as possible.
When asking for practice schedules last week and prepping for this coming week, this is what Buhler head football coach Steve Warner texted me.
“I am glad The News hired a writer again,” he said followed by three smiling emojis.
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I am too.
Yes, I’m aware of the number of writers that have come before me in the last couple of years here at The Hutchinson News. As for now, I’m very excited to be getting going on Monday. Looks like I’ll be heading to Buhler in the morning before stopping somewhere close by for an afternoon practice – still solidifying that.
Being from Texas, the start of the sports season was like Christmas Day: the joy of getting something. In this case, it’s having sports back for another season after two months.
I’ve been watching my social media as Texas high school sports have already been in season with practices since the start of the month. I’ve been anxious, and I bet Kansas athletes have been too. Now, it’s finally here.
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As we writers begin to assemble our ideas for covering these athletes, we too get excited. From the traveling we do, to mingling on the sideline or press box; this is where we shine and love to be.
“I’m just excited for a new season and seeing what all the athletes I cover do,” Salina Journal sports reporter Dylan Sherwood said. “Teams are going to have high expectations, especially if they had a down year in 2020. Plus, they’re still playing a season during a pandemic.”
That remains to be the only thing standing in the way of normalcy, just as it has for the last two summers: the pandemic. Oddly enough, numbers are going up because of the Delta variant. Luckily, schools played through it all last season, and I expect that to happen this fall and sports season too.
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On this high school sports eve, the batteries for our cameras will be charged and our laptops will be ready to go. We writers cannot wait to talk to you, the coaches, athletes, spectators and parents. We are excited to tell more stories going forward into the remaining months of what has seemed to be a quick 2021.
Again, be sure to watch out for our rankings, previews, features, landing pages and more. We, Central Kansas writers, will be orchestrating a preseason state rankings list for football prior to week one. From there, it will be busy and fun until Thanksgiving weekend, and not just for football but for all high school athletics (keep in mind we need breaks too, and we will do our best).
Best of luck to all athletes in the state of Kansas. Play hard, love the time you have with your teammates and family and be safe.
