It’s okay to be excited for sports!

Well, the weather is warming up (slowly, but surely), vaccines are getting into arms, and sports are once again making their way into our collective minds. For pro athletes, sports never really left, just modified a little. But for the hybrid creature known as the “student-athlete,” the return of sports is a huge deal.

In 2020, the global pandemic robbed an entire class of student-athletes of their ability to showcase their skills for college recruiters. Coronavirus robbed them of one of the most unforgettable times in their lives; a time when they can take the field (or court, or diamond, etc.) with their brothers and sisters and fight for a common goal.

But there were no Friday Night Lights moments for the Class of 2020. There were no bus rides to the state championships. There were no Gatorade baths, or buzzer-beaters, or trophies held high. For the Class of 2020, their high school sports careers ended with a whimper.

But for the Class of 2021, the return of sports came just in time. Taos High School has already begun their sports seasons in earnest. (Side note: Congrats to the Taos Tigers Football team on their first win! Next up: St. Michael’s.) The seasons are abbreviated and the COVID-safe guidelines are strict, but legs are running, arms are throwing and fun is being had again.

The return of sports is also a huge morale boost for the Town of Taos. It marks a return to normalcy, and just in time for spring.

But there is a shadow hanging over everything. As last week’s move from “Green” status in Taos County to the much more restrictive “Yellow” status reminded all of us, things can change quickly in the time of COVID.

Don’t worry, yet. There is no word from the Public Education Department or Taos Municipal Schools about potential sports closures due to the status change, but that could change on a dime. Just ask Storyteller Cinema 7, who was forced to close their doors once again after briefly opening when Taos went to Green.

With all of that said, it has been a long, tough year. Now there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We are all anxious to get back to some form of a pre-pandemic life. While officials are warning us that the pandemic is far from over, the return of sports to our community, at the very least, allows us all to be cautiously optimistic for the first time in a year. Positivity has been in short supply of late, so it’s okay to feel a rush of excitement when you hear the results of last weekend’s crosscountry meet (the Taos Tigers made an excellent showing, by the way).

We are coming out of a dark, lonely time and entering a new world where things don’t look so bad. And what better symbol of that optimism and positivity than seeing our kids getting back to playing ball.