The Park City High School girls soccer team took the field Thursday, and though the Miners weren’t able to net a season-opening win, it was nonetheless a joyous occasion: High school sports are back.
Parkites can look forward to nine months of showing up and cheering on the student-athletes who represent our community so well. That’s exciting news, particularly after most of last season unfolded during the worst days of the pandemic, keeping many fans away from the action.
Our hope is that our community this season rallies around Park City’s prep teams. It’s an opportunity to enjoy the competition — as well as find a sense of common cause.
As in the country at large, there are many forces pushing our community further apart these days, from divides over things like mask-wearing to disagreements over the future of the town. The tensions can be readily seen on social media, or by attending local government meetings.
Sports, though, have a way of bringing people together, and it doesn’t take something as historic as the “Miracle on Ice” Olympic hockey team defeating the Soviets. Recall two years ago, for instance, when seemingly everyone in town hopped aboard the bandwagon as the Miners football team tore through the playoffs on its way to the state championship game.
That was a special time, and hopefully something our community can recreate this season regardless of whether any PCHS teams establish themselves among the best in the state. Supporting our high school athletes is one of the few things all Parkites can get behind in this era of polarization. In the stands at Dozier Field, we’re all on the same side, all invested in the same outcome.
Will donning our red and black gear and hollering for the Miners eliminate our differences? No. They’re likely to still be there when the final whistle blows. But there’s something to be said for the shared experience of rooting together and its power to build community.
Call that notion corny or outdated if you will. But next time you’re celebrating a Miners touchdown or a last-second, game-winning goal, look around. You’ll see other passionate Parkites cheering alongside you.
That’s a pretty cool thing, and one we can’t wait to experience this season.