The joys of summer sports

By FAITH MOLDAN

Bigfork Eagle

Summer is, hands down, my favorite season.

There are so many reasons to love summer, especially as a sports and outdoors enthusiast and especially in this area.

For me, summer means my schedule opens up and isn't as rigid as it is during the school year. I get to explore the great outdoors when the weather allows (sometimes even when it doesn't) and hunker down in front of my television screen when it's really bad outside.

I sit here at my desk, legs slightly twitching and itching to get outside on a sunny day. There's so much I could be doing besides writing this column. I could be out walking, running, biking, hiking, swimming (maybe the water's not quite warm enough yet) or boating. Not to mention fishing, camping and getting my hands a little dirty.

My hiking last summer helped me familiarize myself with my new surroundings. My flatland lungs gradually got used to the higher elevation and I started wheezing less and less. I learned names of some of the wildflowers and birds that I came across on the trails. I also lost some fears and gained a sense of adventure. I was reminded how good it felt to feel the cool water of a lake or river surround me. Mud on my shoes didn't bother me as much, and I gained a scar or two from walking through some overgrown brush.

I enjoy the slower pace of summer sports in the area as well. There's soccer, golf, baseball and the fall sports teams will start practicing and going to camps again soon. There are also summer basketball tournaments to watch and report on. It's as close to heaven as I can think, sitting outside while taking in the games and beautiful scenery.

The major league sports are great this time of year too, but not too close so I have to watch the majority of those events on TV.

The National Hockey League just finished its season with the Anaheim Ducks winning the Stanley Cup. The league's draft is just around the corner (June 22-23), as is the National Basketball Association's draft (June 28). The NBA finals are taking place now, pitting the San Antonio Spurs against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Women's National Basketball Association is in full swing and the Major League Baseball season is close to halfway done and the All-star game is July 10. Though not as popular as the NBA, I watch the WNBA sometimes. Call it a habit I picked up from one of my high school friends that was a huge Rebecca Lobo fan, or maybe it's just because one of my college's women's basketball players was drafted by the Washington Mystics just a couple of months ago. The MLB draft was June 7-8.

Need a football fix? Don't worry the National Football League's training camps start in a little more than a month. I always enjoyed that time of year when I lived in Minnesota. The Vikings' training camp was just a 45-minute drive away in Mankato, Minn. There were always the occasional Viking sighting while shopping in town as well. It's interesting watching a linebacker buy DVDs and electronic equipment at Best Buy.

There's so much going on during the summer that I may not even notice the summer months pass me by. Before I know it, it will be time start adding layers of clothes and organizing my crazy schedule for fall sports. But in the meantime, let me know if there's something fun going on sportswise that I don't know about. I'd love the opportunity to be a part of your summer fun and help you remember it with a photo or article in the newspaper.