Aurora – First tee times belong to Colorado high school golfers, who officially open fall preseason practice Monday to kick off the 2006-07 scholastic sports year, the 86th in state annals.
The beach and other far, fun summer places are soon to be a memory for local fall hopefuls, but the plains and hills of Colorado will be alive with the sound of prep golf in mere hours, to be joined by participants in eight other sports, notably football, within a week. Look for nearly 50,000 male and female student-athletes in grades 9-12 to be running, throwing, batting, swinging, tackling, kicking and spiking in the name of school pride by the end of the month.
Call it a wave of back-to-school specials.
“It’s time to get started,” said Bill Reader, Colorado High School Activities Association commissioner. “It comes upon you real fast. Then, once it’s here, it’s great.”
By Thursday, the scorecards in boys golf will be for keeps as they compete in head-to-head matches and tournaments. Boys golfers also like to boast the following: Their prime weather and playing conditions over a full season are unmatched, leaving most of the dust, wind, thunder, lightning, rain, hail, snow and cold to the state’s other 20 sanctioned sports. Even duffers with ridiculous handicaps acknowledge Colorado courses are glorious in late summer and early fall.
Boys and girls cross country, field hockey, football, gymnastics, boys soccer, softball, boys tennis and volleyball begin preseason practice Aug. 14. Matches in boys tennis will count starting Aug. 17, ditto for softball games a day later. However, even with the early starts, the majority of schools in the two sports will complete only a handful of regular-season events before fall sees across-the-board action. Historically, they have opted to remain a part of the traditional Thursday opening day (that usually leads into Labor Day weekend), in this case, Aug. 31.
Color August a month of anticipation.
“It has been my experience that once practice starts, kids are ready to go back to school,” Reader said. “The time between (preseason) practice and games can seem like an eternity. But it’s neat. Before you know it, you’re playing games. It’s always a great time of year.”
Boys golfers will play in the first championship of 2006-07 Oct. 2-3, then fall will be capped with three title games in football – the most popular prep game in Colorado – on Dec. 2, including the 5A and 4A championships at Invesco Field at Mile High.
Winter season (including basketball, ice hockey, skiing, girls swimming and wrestling) will run from Nov. 30-March 10, and spring (baseball, girls golf, lacrosse, girl soccer, boys swimming, girls tennis, and track and field) will be from Feb. 23-May 22.
Reader, also recently elected president of the National Federation of State High School Associations in his fourth – and final – year of serving on the organization’s board, pointed to prep sports’ building blocks and learning experiences on the eve of another year, but agreed the most important aspect is more easily explained.
“All the research is clear,” he said. “The main reason why the kids participate is to have fun.”
Fall forward
Following are the hot dates for fall high school sports. Opening day is Monday, the first of three seasons in the 2006-07 scholastic year:
Boys golf: Practice begins Monday. First scrimmage, Thursday. First match, Thursday. State championships, Oct 2-3, Class 5A at Pinehurst Country Club, 4A at Haymaker Golf Course, Steamboat Springs.
Boys tennis: Practice begins Aug. 14. First scrimmage, Aug. 17. First match, Aug. 17. Regionals, by Oct. 7. State championships, Oct. 12-14, 5A at Gates Tennis Center, 4A at Pueblo City Park.
Softball: Practice begins Aug. 14. First scrimmage, Aug. 18. First game, Aug. 18. Districts, by Oct. 14. Regionals, by Oct. 20. Semifinals, state championships, Oct. 21, 5A-3A, Aurora Sports Complex.
Boys and girls cross country: Practice begins Aug. 14. First scrimmage, Aug. 25. First meet, Aug. 31. Regionals, by Oct. 21. State championships, Oct. 28, 5A-3A, The Vineyard, Colorado Springs.
Field hockey: Practice begins Aug. 14. First scrimmage, Aug. 25. First game, Aug. 31. State quarterfinals, by Oct. 21; semifinals, Oct. 25; championship, Oct. 30, All-City Stadium.
Gymnastics: Practice begins Aug. 14. First scrimmage, Aug. 25. First meet, Aug. 31. Regionals (5A only), by Oct. 28. State championships, 5A, Nov. 3-4; 4A, Nov. 4, at Thornton High School.
Boys soccer: Practice begins Aug. 14. First scrimmage, Aug. 25. First game, Aug. 31. First round of state, 3A, Oct. 24-25; 4A, Oct. 25; 5A, Oct. 24. Second round, 4A, Oct. 28; 5A, Oct. 26 (3A in 16-team bracket; 5A-4A in fields of 32). Quarterfinals, 3A, Oct. 28; 4A, Nov. 1; 5A, Oct. 31. Semifinals, 3A, Nov. 2; 5A-4A, Nov. 4. Championships, 3A, Nov. 4; 5A-4A, Nov. 7, Englewood High School.
Volleyball: Practice begins Aug. 14. First scrimmage, Aug. 25. First game, Aug. 31. Distrcts, by Oct. 28. Regionals, by Nov. 4. State championships, Nov. 10-11, Denver Coliseum, 5A-1A.
Football: Practice begins Aug. 14 (full equipment, no contact, Aug. 16; full contact, Aug. 17). First scrimmage, Aug. 25. First game, Aug. 31. Playoffs – 6-man (8 teams), quarterfinals, Nov. 4; semifinals, Nov. 11; state championship, Nov. 18; 8-man (16 teams), preliminaries, Nov. 4; quarterfinals, Nov. 11; semifinals, Nov. 18; championship, Nov. 25; 1A (16 teams), preliminaries, Nov. 4; quarterfinals, Nov. 11; semifinals, Nov. 18; championship, Nov. 25; 2A (16 teams), preliminaries, Nov. 4; quarterfinals, Nov. 11; semifinals, Nov. 18; championship, Nov. 25; 3A (16 teams), preliminaries, Nov. 11; quarterfinals, Nov. 18; semifinals, Nov. 25; championship, Dec. 2; 4A (16 teams), preliminaries, Nov. 11; quarterfinals, Nov. 18; semifinals, Nov. 25; championship, Dec. 2; 5A (32 teams), first round, Nov. 4; second round, Nov. 11; quarterfinals, Nov. 18; semifinals, Nov. 25; championship, Dec. 2. Note: 3A through 6-man will be at home sites; 5A-4A at Invesco Field at Mile High.
