One day at a time

I
 knew it would happen at some point, I just didn’t think it would be so soon. 
We found out last Tuesday that the Dogie football team had been potentially exposed to the ‘Rona by a player from Hot Springs who tested positive to the virus.
Are. You Kidding. Me?!
I seriously couldn’t believe it!
It’s amazing how quickly the high I was experiencing after getting the fall sports’ seasons under way plummeted to worry that the whole thing could be in jeopardy just one weekend in.
Not only was there a concern for the football season, but with players in classes with the athletes from all other teams, was cross country, girls swimming and volleyball also in a precarious position?
As we held our breath after Tuesday to see what the week would bring, hoping that our Dogies remained healthy and uninfected, we waited to see whether or not scheduled contests would actually take place.
The swimmers made their long trip to Cody on Thursday which was the first hurdle crossed. 
Then the football game in Buffalo was cancelled for Friday. Given what the district didn’t know about the health of the team, it was the right decision to make. With the potential of exposure, it is our responsibility to do whatever we must to avoid exposing another team and school.
But that doesn’t mean it felt good to have the second game of the season cancelled.
The NHS volleyball team headed to Burns on Friday morning after discussions between the two schools determined a protocol for the ladies requiring PPEs during their time in Burns.
The cross country team also went ahead with their meet, in Buffalo, ironically, on Saturday. 
There was only one more question in the air regarding contests scheduled for the week, and that was whether volleyball would host the Wright Lady Panthers on Saturday.
Again, after extensive conversation between the athletic directors of the two schools, the decision was made to err on the side of caution and postpone the event. 
Given it is not a conference matchup and that it is one that is easily rescheduled given that the drive from Wright to Newcastle is short, again it was probably the right decision to make given the circumstances.
With all of the uncertainty going on all of last week, it was a stressful and emotional week for me and for a lot of others. 
But it was also a great learning experience for everyone. 
The anvil dropped. The looming threat of having to deal with exposure to COVID presented itself sooner than we were hoping, but we faced it and we got the opportunity to figure out a way to work through it. 
I think it also made it clear that this is something we may face every time we compete against another team. 
Should we be afraid? No. But we should be ready.
It has also made it clear that we can’t take for granted what is going to take place a week from today. Next time it may be the opponent team that has to be cautious and opt to cancel or postpone a contest because of an exposure or a case on their end.
Therefore, going forward, I plan to take things one day at a time, hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and keep forging ahead.