It will be here Monday.
As with tens of thousands of other in-state hopefuls for fall sports, the official beginning of preseason practice couldn’t have come any quicker for Chaparral High School’s Shane Callahan.
“I’ve gotten more and more excited about it every year,” the offensive tackle said.
This will be Callahan’s swan song as a schoolboy — he’s a senior and is staring at his final season. More important, Monday’s opening of practice for eight other fall sports — boys golf began last week — will not only be for Callahan, a highly touted recruit who has orally committed to Auburn, but everyone down to the sheepish, incoming freshman who simply hopes to survive the cut.
What to remember, Callahan said, “is that this is more exciting than sad if you’re a senior . . . and this sure beats sitting around and doing nothing.”
Grades 9-12 will begin practice in boys and girls cross country, field hockey, football, gymnastics, boys soccer, softball, boys tennis and volleyball.
The widespread opening day will be Sept. 1, but, as in boys golf, boys tennis (Thursday) and softball (Friday) are permitted to begin early.
It’s the beginning of the 91st year on record for the Colorado High School Activities Association and excitement has only grown over the decades.
“The first day of practice cannot be equaled in a student’s life,” CHSAA commissioner Paul Angelico said.
