Sunday, June 3, 2012

Once a Bobcat...

Spring usually represents renewal. Everything that has lain dormant during the winter returns with new vigor. Flowers bloom. The sky is brighter. Temperatures warm. But for high school athletes, spring is not the beginning;it is a close.

The last seasons of the year end as the baseball and softball players hang up their cleats. Spring football training makes its brief appearance to whet our appetites for the upcoming fall. And then, there is a time for reflection and saying goodbye.

At Woodland, the Athletic Banquet is a big deal. Here, the coaches recognize the accomplishments and celebrate the seasons for every varsity athlete in every varsity sport in one event. It's lengthy, but it's so appropriate. I love how they do it here. These young men and women have devoted so much of their time to their respective sports. It's fitting that the community should honor them with this night. It's bittersweet, though. Because with it comes the end. The end of the year, and for some, the end of sports for good.

Coaches get these athletes when they are young. Because ours is a small school, most of the coaches begin working with these athletes as 7th graders. They get to watch them grow as athletes and as people. They devote their time and effort and so much of their lives to teach and prepare these kids for success on the field and in life. It's hard to see them go, no matter how proud you are of them and for them.

The attachments, bonds, and connections they form are meaningful. And even though they won't work together week in and week out, the players here know that these coaches will always be there for them. They are a family. This will always be home.

There's a saying around here, "Bobcat Pride never dies." Ive seen that those are more than words to the people around here. Once you've been a part of this program, you will always be a Bobcat. Congratulations to the Class of 2012. It's been a joy watching you compete and grow up right in front of us. Always be proud of where you came from. And next year, I know you'll miss it. We'll save you a seat in the bleachers.

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