One of the things I’ve grown accustomed to during our time spent in a Covid world is the feeling that time has sort of lost its shape. Since March of 2020, the pandemic has upended our daily routines, disrupted our normal schedules, and left many—myself included—struggling to piece together exactly when one event occurred in relation to another.

But in sitting down to contemplate the year that was, I’m reminded of so many things that served to make 2021 a unique one, even in the face of sickness and unrest.

How many years can anyone remember where we were treated to not one, but two, high school football seasons? That answer is easy—it’s zero. But the reshuffling of sports schedules saw New York state teams participating in interscholastic spring football this year for the first time ever. That spring season
wasn’t perfect of course—there were no playoffs and the entire campaign was played out on a backdrop of uncertainty—but there’s something to be said for the sheer novelty of seeing the “boys of fall” take to the gridiron in April.

There were other firsts, too. In the fall, Section I’s at large-bid in the New York State football playoffs set up an unlikely scenario that saw Somers and Rye—who squared off in the Section I finals—meet again just two weeks later with a trip to the Class A state finals hanging in the balance.

Mamaroneck’s soccer team made history as well, as the longtime Class AA contender finally got over the hump, beating rival Scarsdale to capture its first-ever Section I title.

And even as that momentwas a special one for longtime Tiger coach Rich Becker, he wasn’t the only local coach to reach a career milestone in 2021.

Mamaroneck baseball coach Mike Chiapparelli earned his 600th win in May, Bronxville girls soccer coach Don Cupertino notched his 500th in September—before guiding his Broncos to another state crown two months later—and Rye hockey coach Peter Thomas snuck his own historic achievement in just under the wire, collecting his 100th win on Dec. 27 in the Garnets’ 5-3 victory over Clarence High School.

These were all special, positive developments in a year that—unfortunately—proved to be just as difficult for as many people as 2020 was. We’re still living our lives under the cloud of a pandemic, constantly worrying that another surge or another variant might see things shut right back down. It’s not easy, for
certain, but it does help us to put those things we should be grateful for in perspective.

So while I can’t say I’m sorry to see 2021 in my rear-mirror, I do have to admit that—at the very least—there were certainly a few things worth looking back fondly on. Let’s just hope we have even better times ahead.

Follow Mike on Twitter @LiveMike_Sports