The Dogies are back!

L
et’s get it started!
Summer is a time to refresh, reinvigorate and refocus, and after interviewing the fall sports’ coaches, I think that our Dogies have taken advantage of their summer to do just that.
After last year, where though all of the sports teams throughout the year were grateful to have the opportunity to compete during the pandemic, I have no doubt that there was a huge, collective sigh of
relief when the fall schedules came down this year, and seasons looked to be back to normal.
Volleyball gets to travel and compete at the early season tournaments which are so vital to team progression and cohesiveness early in the season.
Cross country will be attending meets in South Dakota which have historically provided quality competition for the team while requiring less travel.
Football also is able to compete in interstate competitions, while swimming is back on the schedule for back-to-back weekend events which will be attended by several teams, rather than only one or two.
I’m always excited for the beginning of a new school year and the debut of the new Dogie teams as they get their fall seasons under way, but COVID has given me a new appreciation for this annual kickoff of high school sports.
I feel like a kid counting down the days leading up to Christmas. I’m so excited for competitions to get started and about the potential that all of our teams have to be successful.
I have to thank the bitter medicine that COVID made us swallow over the last four seasons — from the extreme loss of the 2020 spring seasons to the limitations placed on the ’20-’21 year — for my reinvigorated outlook.
I believe our athletes may also be experiencing similar feelings. Whether they are incoming freshmen or seasoned seniors, I would not be surprised to find them even more excited for the upcoming year than they have been in the past.
Dogie fans are probably also eagerly anticipating the launch of the 2021-2022 high school seasons: celebrating with our young men underneath the Friday Night Lights, filling up the Dogie Dome to cheer on our talented volleyball crew, and perhaps extending and reliving the thrill of the Olympics as we watch our swimmers work toward earning a guaranteed state berth, and enjoy watching our cross country runners battle for varsity positions from week to week.
Obviously, the pandemic is still a thing as the Delta variant is beginning to shut down certain areas of the country again, but here in Wyoming we are lucky to be able to attempt to return to the normal we missed over the last year and a half, and I am beyond grateful for that! 
Regardless of whether you are an athlete, a coach, a parent, an official or simply a sports fan — if you’re not already with me, let’s get excited for the launch of the 2021 Fall season.
Go Dogies!