GREENWOOD VILLAGE — Having attended kindergarten, grade school and middle school at the massive academic complex behind the Cherry Creek Reservoir, Courtney Wegner still found herself on new ground Monday by taking the next step.
The 14-year-old, like tens of thousands of other Colorado high-schoolers, began fall practice for the 2011-12 sports year, the 91st on state record. This freshman actually knew her way around, yet encountered new faces, coaches, teammates, surroundings and drills as she began her 10th year in the district’s showcase site, her first at Cherry Creek High School, the state’s largest with an enrollment of more than 3,500.
And she wasn’t disappointed near the end of her first volleyball practice, her charter entry into becoming a student-athlete. There were introductions, a little apprehension, instruction on the proper way to play and a sense of attempting to fit in.
“I’m really excited,” Wegner said. “It’s just a new environment. It’s like I already know it, but it’s just to get used to a bigger school, meeting new people and being yourself in doing what you can do.”
A former soccer player who also is considering an attempt at tennis during the spring season, Wegner admits she has much to learn and is ready and willing to tackle all volleyball positions.
Let the growing process begin.
“I want to get better and be strong, and you go out there and just show them what you can do,” Wegner said. “And you show them new stuff. There’s a mixture of players (here), which is good, because they’re better. I can look up to them and learn from them. Everyone seems to be learning from each other.”
The Bruins and longtime coach Sally Moos, who on Monday morning welcomed more than 80 hopefuls — “a good number for us,” she said — were part of eight sports that opened drills. Boys golfers began last week, but from Fort Collins to Trinidad and Grand Junction to Burlington, all levels of boys and girls cross country, field hockey, football, gymnastics, boys soccer, softball, boys tennis and volleyball began practice Monday.
“I think any school and any coach will say the same thing — we’re all starting on the same level playing field and everybody can win a state championship,” Colorado High School Activities Association commissioner Paul Angelico said. “In my mind, this is about all of the things these kids are going to learn and that they don’t even know they’re learning. They’ll get a ton out of this, I can’t imagine it any other way. It’s special.”
Boys tennis and softball may open play later this week, but the widespread first day will be Sept. 1.
Wegner, who won’t begin classes until next week, already is thinking about what she’ll learn by joining the student-athlete fray.
“It’s about being out and doing stuff,” she said. “It’s about getting to and from my locker, getting to class, meeting people, competing and knowing my way around.
“I feel great about it.”
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
