Michelle Valencia
Opinion Editor
As the warm weather is slowly approaching, spring are sports starting up once more. Athletes are excited about the upcoming sports season as it appears it will be to be a close-to-normal season this spring.
Spring sports include baseball, softball, golf, track and field, and tennis.
Various regulations and changes happened during last season, affecting many of the spring sports. Many modifications were made to the season’s schedule.
Last year, the Sandy track and field team only had two meets before heading to districts. There was no state meet but instead a modified, smaller Covid safe version of it.
“Usually during a normal season of track, they have districts and then state but last year there was a Covid classic invitational that replaced the state meet. I hope that this season we are able to head to state,” junior Hayden Thomas said.
Other sports, like golf and girls and boys tennis were also affected, leading the teams to have fewer meets/matches and also no districts. However, players are currently preparing and eagerly awaiting the start of the season.
“I am feeling excited. I’m definitely anticipating the upcoming season and what it will bring for me and the team. Last season was a lot shorter and put together kind of at the last minute but it looks as if it will be somewhat normal so I’m excited for that,” senior Tess Hansen said.
Both the baseball and softball teams had fairly normal length seasons while having districts and both teams finishing in fourth in the Mt. Hood Conference.
Once the season begins, athletes are able to connect with one another and now more than ever they feel as if it is necessary to do so after the weird seasons they had, last year.
“My favorite thing about softball is the community it has and how once the season starts going we can rely on one another and all become great friends,” junior Eris Winchester said.
Student athletes strive to have a successful season. In order for this to come true, coaches play a key part in it, pushing their athletes to a good performance.
“I love practices because Coach [Chris] Meyers makes them super fun and it’s also his last season before retirement so we don’t want to disappoint him. But I think overall we all want to have a great season,” junior Colin Givens said.
With the return of students to the school, more are going out to tryouts due to the sports seasons returning to normalcy. Athletes will be able to unmask and have the opportunity to head to State once more.
“I expect to see a lot of new faces, mainly underclassmen, this year, especially because with Covid, a lot of athletes couldn’t play and besides tennis is a low stress sport,” Hansen said. Spring sports have experienced a lot of changes and finally are seeing the possibility to return better than ever for this 2022 year.
The Pioneer Press 