Summer vacation--a time to relax, hang out with your friends and begin the fall sports season. No matter how early in the summer practices begin, they always bring with them the utter dread that school is approaching.

You don't know how practices always seem to interrupt the daily routine of sleeping in late, then being busy lounging, tanning and watching TV. Not to mention how during most summers, the hot weather can actually get somewhat bothersome during a long practice. This year, though, it wasn't the heat that was troubling but the rain.

You don't know how much I have come to hate rainy weather. At first the rain is nice, but then when a downpour comes during a few practices in a row it begins to feel like you're swimming instead of running. Also, with the rain comes the mosquitoesÑyou kill one and there are still 15 million of its brothers and sisters to swat before they attack you. So naturally, the start of my cross-country season had me dreading the start of this school year. However, the first practice this year changed all that.

You don't know how happy I was to be running those same old trails that I have run time and time again. Something seemed new and exciting, even though I was repeating the same old route. Perhaps it was because this would be my last cross-country season here at Hoban and I wanted it to be special. I am sure all you seniors can relate.

No matter what grade you are in, each new season is another opportunity to better yourself. You have the chance to meet new people and get in great physical shape. Athletics are one of the few opportunities in high school where it doesn't matter how old you are. With hard work, determination and a little bit of luck, you can play with high school students of all class levels. When school gets stressful, nothing is more therapeutic than going to practice and giving it your all.

You don't know how easily all your problems melt away when you put on those running shoes (or that football helmet or whatever equipment you might use). So I challenge all of you to get involved in some wayÑsports or any cocurricular activity will doÐit doesn't matter, so long as you have fun.

But no matter what, you don't know jack!