The time has come

 If 2020 had gone as planned (hahahahaha), this past Monday would have been my return trip from the Tokyo Olympics. I would have flown from the Japanese capital through Seattle and then to Boston. It surely would have been an exciting two weeks in Eastern Asia and I am hopeful that next summer offers the same opportunity. But that's a story for another day.

On a related note, this coming Monday will mark my return to the job that I held since 2003 before I was temporarily laid off in April. It's been a long few months and over the past few weeks, I've been slowly gearing up for the return to writing, but I have to admit, it is going to take some getting used to. I've actually taken in a few different games over the last couple of weeks in preparation (I've seen you Wolfeboro Wolverines and MWV Eagles softball and Wolfeboro Senior Babe Ruth).

Writing is something that I have essentially been doing since I've been out of college. I feel like covering sports is something that I need to be doing. But I also know that going back to the job is going to be different. The people that I have worked with over the last few years are not back on the job yet, so there will likely be more work to do. At the same time, there's also a chance that some schools will not be doing sports this fall. Yes, sports are going to look different when they do come back and I know that the coverage I can provide will likely be a little different as well.

I am looking forward to being back on the sidelines when sports do return but there's a good chance I am going to have to rely on the help of coaches and others a little more, since I am going from the five schools I have covered the last few years to a total of 19 schools in the Salmon Press coverage area. This will provide a challenge or sure but in the time of COVID-19, everything has been a challenge, so this will be no different.

If you are a local athlete, parent, coach or fan, I look forward to possibly seeing you out and about in the upcoming seasons. And I hope everyone continues to stay safe as sports slowly seep back into our world.