Rod's Ramblings: Sights, sounds and smells mark fall sports

A week ago Tuesday morning I woke up to head to my job at WKLK Radio. I walked outside and the air — at 46 degrees — had a crispness about it that I haven’t felt since last fall. It felt refreshing and ominous at the same time: refreshing, because of the heat we had been dealing with the previous days, and ominous, because it felt more like a fall morning ... which means winter is not far off. My thoughts raced ahead to thoughts of fall sports and how soon we will hear the sounds of those sports around area school campuses.

It is hard to believe that on Monday, our local student athletes will be heading to their schools to officially begin the season. For me, this is one of the most exciting times of the year. While I admit that football is the fall sport I love the most, I love watching all of our local teams compete. Driving by Cloquet High School — or any local school, for that matter — and seeing kids out participating brings a smile to my face.

Along with the realization that fall sports will start soon, is the further realization of how much work these kids will be putting in to get ready for their respective seasons. And how much work many of them have already done prior to the season.

While there was some off-season conditioning stuff by athletes when I was in school, it is a whole lot different now. Nearly every athlete who steps onto the court or field has spent the summer conditioning and honing skills well before the start of the season. The amount of time required to participate in sports now is huge. The level of commitment students make is significant and the amount of dedication that is given to sports is truly amazing. Anyone who thinks we don’t have quality kids in our schools must have blinders on because the student athletes of today are an incredible group of individuals who should be given a pat on the back for all their efforts.

When you live close to a high school, like I do, one of the fun things is being able to hear the sounds of football and soccer games at the high school complex. Friday night is football night in Minnesota. To me there is not much that can rival a football game played under the lights. In Cloquet we are blessed with the B&B Wagon providing burgers and hot dogs and other treats during the game. At times, if the wind is right, you can see a whisper of smoke billowing from the grills and wafting its way across the field. You can literally smell the food. That, combined with some local people having campfires in their driveways in portable fire pits, makes the ambiance pretty special.

While I single out my experience in Cloquet, I am sure it is pretty much the same at any of our local schools during the high school football season. Whether you are at a nine-man game, or a big school game, the atmosphere is almost always electric with anticipation. It’s a feeling I always enjoy and hope I never lose.

If you’re a soccer fan the buildup to a new season is now here. Starting Monday, the boys and girls will be out on the field working on technique and building their stamina while the season looms. Cross-country runners are already putting in their miles and getting ready for their upcoming campaign. A drive by the tennis courts at the high school reveals girls out on the court hitting back and forth as they prepare for what they hope will be a strong run into the section tournaments.

For indoor sports such as volleyball, the new year brings new hope and a reverberation of noise as local fans cheer on their favorite team, making gymnasiums spring to life with cheering, bands and an atmosphere that is second to none.

Maybe it’s just me, and I hope it isn’t, but this time of year is just very special. I can’t wait for all the excitement to start. Perhaps it is my version of the phoenix, the bird from Greek mythology that rises from the ashes to begin a new life, but instead of a new life, it is a new sports season.

Let the games begin.

WKLK radio personality Kerry Rodd writes sports for the Pine Knot News.