Roll out the balls It’s sports season

There is something so innocent about the first day of high school practice: Teams are fresh,  everybody’s record is 0‑0 and hopes for a state championship seem achievable.

Then reality sets in.

Football coaches find out they don’t have anybody on the team who can punt, volleyball coaches learn that some of their players did not keep themselves in shape over the summer and cross  country coaches wonder why any of their athletes actually joined the team.

(Actually, that last one was my curiosity. I mean, who really thinks it’s a fun idea to go running five miles in the desert in 110 degrees? God bless all of them who actually do. You’re tougher than me.)

The beginning of the seasonis also a time for new coachesto get acquainted with theirathletes, schools to build on existing  traditions while starting new ones and parents and  friends to start saving up for foam No. 1 fingers to use when the games start.

There is also something fresh about these teams startingtheir practice schedules while campuses are still devoidof students. It’s much likethe beginning of baseball’s spring training before anyof the fans have arrived.

It should be an exciting year for sports in the North Valley. Hopefully by the end of it we’ll be talking about all the area’s state champions.

Are you ready?

CACTUS SHADOWS HAS scheduled two mandatory sports meetings for the next week.

All football players andparents must attend a 7 p.m. meeting Aug. 11 at the Grey Gym, while all volleyballplayers and their parentsmust go to a 6:30 p.m.meeting Aug. 14.

The cross country team will be holding its own meeting Aug. 15 in the school cafeteria.

For information, call the school at (480) 575‑2407.

If you would like to reach the reporter, or submit a local sports item of interest, send an e‑mail to jason@thedesertadvocate.com, call (480) 488‑1204 or visit the office at 25 Easy St. in Carefree.