HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS ARE BACK

The spring semester is usually the time when sports begin to wrap. However, in the small town of Fowler California, sports have only just begun. High School Athletics has made a much-welcomed return for student-athletes.

Where football is typically reserved for the fall, the COVID-19 safety shutdowns pushed back the sport to early April. Football is not the lone sport commencing this season.

“Every sport is going right now. A total of 12 all at once. So it’s fun and great to see the kids out here and we are excited for Fowler athletics right now,” Joe Hammond said.

Hammond is Fowler High School’s Athletic Director. That position made him the sole person responsible for establishing all of the teams’ practices and schedules. It is a difficult task but will eventually pay off.

The seasons were finalized and the student-athletes were ready to play against the real competition for the first time in over a year. After months of only practices, scrimmages, and the hope of a season, there was finally a schedule.

“Getting the kids out there and keeping them excited for the hope of a season so to get to this point in our school year and actually start sports is huge because these kids have been hanging on and hanging on and hanging on and you know their grades have been staying up,” Hammond says.

For athletes and fans alike, the return of sports is a sign that things are getting better in the battle against COVID-19. The teams drastically reduced fan attendance and mask-wearing was required to further ensure safety, but spectators do not mind. To many, a return to sports is a return to normality.

“It feels great,” says student Karissa Castaneda. “It feels like it’s starting to come back to the good ole days with everyone together again.”