Fall sports are in full swing after starting late on Aug. 19.

Many students were upset about starting sports late thinking it may just set them back a few practices.

“Golf practiced during the summer, so it didn’t matter,” freshman Katie Brungardt said.

“Students can’t practice if they don’t have all the paperwork filled out,” athletics director Clint Albers said.  “It was much easier tracking down kids before practices to get their physicals in.”

Practices starting late wasn’t a surprise to anyone except the students. KSHAA plans ahead making the calendar roll back every five years. This results in school sports to starting later. Next year, practices will start Aug. 18 and so forth.

“The students could be recruited more easily,” Albers said. “This became a chance for other kids to join different sports, especially the incoming students.”

Albers has been here for nearly 15 years and the sports have never started this late, but it is something the district can’t control.

The volleyball team lost out on team building they typically have at their traditional midnight practice.

“Not having midnight practice was different than having it like any other year,” volleyball player Taylor Groen-Younger said. “There just isn’t enough time to get everything in we want to accomplish in a practice.”

The football players took time out of zero hour to prepare for the season as well as two more practices after school.

“It was weird, not like most years and it had a different feel to it,” senior Kenny Rounkles said.

“The football team has lost some of their key players due to injury and graduating seniors,” Rounkles said.  Some have been doing rehab and his twin brother, Kevin Rounkles, is out for the season due to a re-torn ACL.

“I personally wasn’t too happy with it, starting late just pushed us back for the first game,” junior Sean Lee said. “Although it gives us more time to prepare for the season ahead.”

Football practice started on Aug. 19, followed by padded practices Aug. 22.

“I don’t think there were any setbacks in my opinion,” Lee said. “More time equals more preparation and that’s never a bad thing.”

14asteinkuhler@usd489.com