Think about what you’ll be doing on Thursday morning, just hours from now.
If you’re like most people, you’ll be all but inert. You might be sleeping off a hangover, or maybe you’ll be slumped on the couch in a position that makes Homer Simpson look attentive and alert, eating leftover New Year’s Eve snacks while watching the Outback Bowl or, in the early afternoon, the Capital One Bowl. You’ve got to get warmed up, what with the Gator, Rose and Orange Bowls coming up later in the day. Chances are, unless you’re one of the few unfortunates who has to work, you won’t be doing much of anything on the opening day of 2009.
To most of Emporia High’s winter sports athletes, though, New Year’s Day is just another non-school day at the office. Has been for a long time, and will be for the forseeable future. Emporia’s boys and girls basketball teams and the wrestling team will be practicing in the morning, and the Spartan bowling team will hold its first official practice at Flint Hills Lanes in the afternoon. Coach Bob Yevak, meanwhile, is giving the boys swimming team the day off.
“It’s a nice holiday, but we look at it as, it’s two hours out of their day,” said EHS wrestling coach Greg Buckbee, whose team returns to action in Derby on Jan. 9. “It’s 8 a.m., it’s nice to get that practice in, and then they can go home and watch their bowl games, or sleep, or whatever they need to do.”
Rick Bloomquist has been holding his varsity boys practices in the afternoon the rest of the week, but will have the Spartans in the gym at 10 a.m. on Thursday.