A Sports Ode to September

By all these lovely tokens September days are here,
With summer's best of weather
And autumn's best of cheer. —Helen Hunt Jackson

September might be my favorite month in all of sports. You need not even turn the television on to understand of what I speak. 

Here in San Francisco, we have our eyes on the divisional title that we hope to snatch from our rival, the LA Dodgers. But if you look in many a MLB dugout, you might see that in addition to scores around the league, baseball players have an eye on college and professional football. With games now on Thursdays through Monday nights, that's a whole lot of action on the gridiron. But there's also a lot of of baseball and hopes for playing into October loom large. Pre-cell phone and internet, nothing beat the announcer at a football providing updates of live MLB scores. I still remember the collective cheers from the crowd in response to a game that might be taking place hundreds of miles away. September has bred good memories.

Earlier this month, I was in Denver for the BMW Championship, a golf tourney that is third in the FedEx series. We will see 35 of those golfers in Atlanta, a few Americans and Europeans at the Ryder Cup and all the others in 2015. And in between calculating the results for our first cross country invitational this year, I was keeping an eye on some great tennis at the US Open. Move over Andy Williams, I have a feeling a number of sports fan are all too willing to sing "it's the most wonderful time, of the year!" here and now.

Helen Hunt Jackson was right in calling attention to autumn's best of cheer. I see that nearly everyday at school where our fall athletes walk with confidence for making the team and proud of their distinctive athletic apparel. The colors are unfaded, the dirt stains are fresh and the hopes for a varsity letter run high.

Each sport runs its season. When it comes to a close, I always feel a tinge of sadness that the memories have been set. But the sentiment that colors these 30 days that have September are vibrant. What a gift....

Pay attention to the hustle and bustle that is taking place on the fields, tracks and trails around you.  Indeed the harvest is plenty...!

1. First spirit day of the year for our Cross Country team. We have 105 girls running this season! A new record. We hope to break a few too.
2. & 3. The Athletic Department at St. Ignatius is training captains on leadership. What an important subject to teach. Leaders are not just born, they are made....and formation along the way certainly helps. Here are two of our best senior captains!
4. Notre Dame Women Connect of the SF Alumni Club was proud to host Jill Bodensteiner '91, Senior Associate Athletic Director. Jill informed us all that the Athletic Department does to make 26 D-1 varsity programs run smoothly. Wow.
5. Picture Day always provides some sort of entertainment. Case in point: the senior football players pose for their "buddy photos."
6. I loved this pairing. Bubba Watson & Rickie Fowler at Cherry Creek Hills Country Club.