Taking advantage of COVID-19

By some incredible miracle my editor Kevin and I have been able to fill out a newspaper these past few weeks, even as the coronavirus shuts everything else down. It hasn’t been easy, that’s for sure.

As a sports reporter, I am looking under every nook and cranny for content. Thankfully, there’s been plenty to write about. Colby and Abbotsford have produced incredible athletes, and it seems every week I discover that a Hornet or Falcon is about to become a Pointer or Titan or Bluegold.

That’s been one of the few good things to come about from the coronavirus. I now have ample room to write about each of these student- athletes and their accomplishments.

Every one of them deserves the attention getting to the next level, in any sport, is incredibly hard. As I wrote in Chase Sperl’s story last week, only a small fraction of high school athletes will ever get to play at the next level.

That’s what makes it so astounding when I see how many kids from Colby and Abby are, or will be, suiting up somewhere, whether that’s in the NCAA, the NAIA or at a junior college.

There’s also been other silver linings with the coronavirus. No sports or events to cover at night means I’m usually home by 6 p.m. It’s weird, being home so early.

It’s going to be weird returning to my usual frantic schedule when this pandemic is settled. I’ve tried to avoid watching the news when it comes to COVID-19. I see it every day at work, and with all this free time I’ve gotten back to doing some of the things I love, but have ignored.

I’ve gotten back into working out again. Yeah, I have a gym membership at Benz Fitness in Colby, but gyms have been shut down across the country. I’ve got a pair of free weights that I have been using, and I’ve been getting back into the habit of taking long walks and even running.

I used to love running, the feel of the air rushing against my face, seeing the scenery pass me by. My legs, on the other hand, are angry with me. They let me know they’re mad because when I try to walk up or down a flight of stairs it’s painful. Each step is like a tiny reminder that I’ve gotten out of shape.

I’ve also been getting back into the kitchen and cooking more instead of getting a gut-bomb at Kwik Trip. Over the weekend I cooked pork chops, and they turned out beautifully. I threw some salt, pepper, paprika and some other ingredients and once they were done they were delicious.

It’s an amazing feeling when you’ve successfully completed a task, isn’t it? I’d rather be covering a game, but during times like this it’s important to use time wisely. People are spending time with family, catching up on books and preparing home cooked meals. That can’t be all bad, can it?

M USINGS AND G RUMBLINGS

ROSS PATTERMANN REPORTER