The official transition from winter sports to spring sports took place on Sunday. If you blinked, you might have missed it.

Saturday was the final day for high school basketball, and today is the first opportunity for track and field meets. Interestingly enough, the Barnett Center will serve as a venue for both of those sports in less than 48 hours.

During the past two months, I have had the privilege of documenting (through stories and videos) the accomplishments of high school athletes in a wide variety of sports. There have been amazing buzzer-beating shots, the thrill of winning state championships, and the heartbreak of goals that have fallen just short in that quest.

There have been a wide range of emotions on public display and enough storylines to last for months.

While that has certainly been a blast to cover, there have been some memorable moments that I witnessed – as was a part of – that took place when games weren’t in motion.

For starters, I will not forget the amazing halftime performance by a tumbling team from Fargo-Moorhead that entertained at a Northern State basketball game. For those of you old enough, think Midland Tumblers.

The troop was a study in non-stop motion as girls flung their bodies through the air without much regard for those who were flying right next to them or in some instances right at them. It was a thrilling halftime show, reminiscent of those Midland squads who were a staple at state high school tournaments for decades. The Fargo-Moorhead Acro Team brought fans to their feet with a dazzling display of athleticism and choreography.

Unfortunately, I was in the middle of another off-court memory later in the season. I was covering a basketball doubleheader at the Civic Arena, which meant that between games, I had a total of 15 minutes to get statistics, and conduct player and coach interviews before tipoff of the next game. While that might seem like an adequate amount of time, keep in mind that I often need to hunt people down and hope they are readily available.

In my haste to get things done on that occasion, I was walking briskly past a locker room door when it was suddenly flung open by someone getting ready for the next game. It hit me (literally) by complete surprise and let’s just say I did not win that collision. As my notebook and phone went flying, I was immediately struck by a stinging sensation on my left arm. When I looked down, I could see that my skin had been peeled back like it was opened with a can-opener.

I knew I had a huge issue, because my arm was a mess, the clock was running, and I had yet to do a single interview. Thank goodness the incident took place in close proximity to the bench and a thoughtful trainer was able to provide the medical attention I required (you can see the bandage on my arm in the photo above). Good news is that my arm will be just fine, plus I was able to conduct nearly all of my interviews in time for the next game.

One of the most thoughtful memories took place at the Class A State Girls’ Basketball Tournament in Brookings long before tipoff during the semifinal round. As I sat on press row next to the court, a group of Sisseton cheerleaders came by and gave each media member a bottle of water with a tag that thanked us for our work.

Now, I know that a bottle of water may not seem like much, but the thoughtfulness and kindness behind the gesture sure made a huge impression on me. Cheerleaders have a lot on their plate at state tournaments, and for them to take the time to think about others in that manner speaks volumes of their character. Thank you again, Sisseton cheerleaders.

And finally, there were the numerous conversations that took place before, between and after the contests with friends that I haven’t seen for years and others that I just had the pleasure of meeting on that evening. It reminded me of another one of the many benefits of sports, and really all extra-curricular activities in general.

Sure, we all enjoy watching the pure drama and unpredictability of high school athletics, but at the end of the day, there is nothing better than building friendships that last a lifetime no matter which team wins or what the final score was.

Bring on the spring sports season.