2020 rants & raves

I
 don’t think I’m alone in feeling really excited to bid adieu to the year that threw us one crazy challenge after another, but at the same time, in the midst of a global pandemic and a civil rights movement that we here in Wyoming probably never really got the gist of, I do believe there were several silver linings amidst the disappointments. 
As such, I feel it appropo to run my version of a 2020 Rants and Raves.
Because I always like to end on a high note, I’ll begin with my rants. Obviously, my number one rant is that Covid-19 made us have to revert to online school within just a couple of weeks back in March. Teachers, students and parents alike had little to no warning before they had to figure out how to negotiate an educational system based on students being in classrooms with their teachers which suddenly had to segue into virtual education. No one liked it. Teachers were frustrated, it was detrimental to students, and it caused a great deal of stress for families trying to work and help their children finish out the year.
Rant number two is also, not surprisingly, about Covid. A very young and inexperienced Lady Dogie basketball team finished third at the 3A East Regional tournament to earn a spot at the state tournament for the first time in several years, but only got to play one game in Casper before Covid shut down, and ultimately cancelled the event leaving the question of how they would have finished unanswered. Not only was the basketball season cut short, but the spring seasons were cancelled completely.
Rant number three is also about...you guessed it...Covid! The class of 2019 lost out on so many final moments. They left the building on March 13th with no clue that they would not set foot inside it again. While seniors often spend their final year counting down the days until they leave, to have that eventuality thrust upon them so suddenly was tough for many to take. 
They also missed out on prom, senior skip day, the graduation that every other class got to experience, and so much more.
Rant number four is once again Covid related. Athletes missed out on off-season opportunities to train for the upcoming sports seasons, and then when fall and winter sports seasons got underway, they were very different than any season before. They didn’t get to experience a packed Dogie Dome rocking with fans - an experience like no other for young athletes. Volleyball missed out on getting to play in tournaments during the regular season which provide much needed experience and provide opportunities for team growth and bonding. Their regional tournament was also just a glimmer of what that culminating event usually is for kids. The one-and-done format ramped up the pressure, and at the same time reduced the tournament atmosphere to just another game.
I could go on with rants regarding Covid, but I feel like I’d rather focus on my raves for the year. Ironically, my raves relate to my rants.
Rave number one is that despite the looming threat of Covid, we did manage to get back to school face-to-face in the fall and persevered through the whole first semester. Yes, we had to be flexible with providing education to remote students while also teaching our kids in person, but it was a small price to pay to get back to education as usual.
Rave number two is that a very young and inexperienced Lady Dogie basketball team improved throughout the year to make it to the state tournament. And though they didn’t get to see how they would do if it all played out, they were only one of four teams in 3A and 4A to get to play a game at state, and they got to play that game in the Events Center. And, by my judgement were state runners up for 3A.
Rave number three is that the class of 2020 rose above the disappointments the spring of their senior year presented by holding a graduation ceremony uniquely different from any other graduation in Newcastle history. They also held their prom, albeit several months late, and celebrated with their classmates this last rite of passage.
Rave number four is that although the fall seasons looked different and presented their challenges, the athletes at NHS and NMS still had the opportunity to play and took full advantage of that gift.
And rave number five has nothing to do with school or sports. Though plans were cancelled and struggles were real dealing with the shutdown and quarantine we went through last spring and summer, those restrictions gave us all the opportunity to slow down and turn our eyes and our hearts to the things that really matter in life...our families, our friends and our passions. 
In our sudden spare time, we reconnected and appreciated the people in our lives that mean so much. We were gifted the opportunity to devote time to exploring and developing passions that we’d been putting off because we were too busy. We loved on our pets.
This year has been a challenge to say the least, and those challenges are going to spill over into 2021, but my hope and my goal is that we will all reflect and use all we’ve learned from the last 10 months to make this next year the very best it can be.