Opening day still has the magic

Start of fall practice still special to athletes who train year-round

For many high school athletes, their chosen sport is a year-round pursuit.

Between games, practices, weightlifting, summer workouts and camps – sometimes squeezed in during a club season – they rarely go long without seeing their teammates and coaches.

On Monday, the first official day of high school fall practices, teammates gathered for the first time since ... last week, in the case of teams that held captains’ practices (organized by players, without coaches present). Other athletes had a couple of weeks off after the end of the Minnesota State High School summer waiver period in late July.

So the question was, is the first day of fall practice still special? A sampling of local players and coaches suggest that it still is.

“We have only four years of this,” said Eagan football senior linebacker Christian Langhorst, who said he was particularly fired up about the start of fall practice after missing more than half of last season because of an elbow injury. “For our seniors, it’s our last first day.

“We see each other when we work out in the off-season, but this is something different. Some people might not like two-a-days. We love them. We love to work, we love to come out and compete against each other. We all have a love and passion for this game and I bet if you asked anybody on this team, they would say the same thing.”

Adam Dorsey, an Eagan senior defensive back, echoed his teammate’s sentiment.

“We have summer practices, but people are just out there to stay in shape, really,” Dorsey said. “But once the first day (of fall practice) comes, it really sets in. It feels like when you have the most energy because everybody’s ready for the season. And for the seniors, it’s the first day of our last season.”

Coaches expect high energy from the athletes on Day 1 and would be concerned if it wasn’t there.

“It’s definitely easier on the first day,” Eagan football coach Nick Johnson said. “Then it’s a question of, can you bring the energy on Thursday and Friday?

“The mental part of it is important, too. You have to be engaged, not taking breaks. That’s hard for kids, especially when they become physically tired. But most of our guys have been playing football for a while, so they know how this works. They know they have to take care of themselves.”

Soon enough – as early as next week, for some sports – athletes’ focus will shift from surviving practice to preparing for games. But Day 1 always will be a fond memory.

“I know two-a-days have always been a big thing in our program,” said Eastview football linebacker Kye Brouchet. “Everybody’s getting back to see each other again. It’s always a special moment in the season.”

Key dates

Thursday, Aug. 15: first competition day, girls tennis.

Saturday, Aug. 17: soccer and volleyball scrimmage day.

Thursday, Aug. 22: first competition day, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls cross country, girls volleyball, girls swimming and diving.

Saturday, Aug. 24: football scrimmage day.

Thursday, Aug. 29, and Friday, Aug. 30: first competition day for most football teams.

Thursday, Sept. 12: first competition day, adapted soccer.

Mike Shaughnessy can be reached at mike.shaughnessy@apgecm.com.