Saturday is the final day of the JV basketball season for Arapahoe HS girls basketball. The season ended up two months long, which is about half the normal season length.
I was disappointed to not be able to attend any games -- the perfect outing for us when Arapahoe is only three miles up University and we can be home by 6:30 -- but delighted that one parent with an iPad and a tripod was allowed to sit in the stands and livestream the games.
I often wished he would add some color commentary to the visuals, but he rarely broke his ghostly silence. I did appreciate a few moans and "get her off the back!" (one of my personal favorite referee criticisms) that made it to YouTube.
Unlike college players and most states, Colorado athletes wear masks to practice and play, and that just can't be very comfortable. I admire all the athletes who sacrificed a bit of freedom to simply play games, even in empty gyms. Well, two parents could attend but none of their friends or teachers or even grandparents could cheer them on.
The players will likely never know how much their efforts were appreciated. Kathleen and I are glad that Grace, our Arapahoe sophomore granddaughter, should have two full years of 95 percent "normal" high school in her future.
Just like those athletes who found a way to play a high-energy sport wearing masks, students will find ways to make whatever "new normal" is in their future work. I could get into the woods about testing and learning and whether kids are "falling behind" in the race to become adult citizens, but let's save that for another time.
I simply know that I will miss those two games a week on TV.
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