Dave Nichols: Youth Sports Awards opportunity to celebrate athletes’ journeys, successes

After nearly two years of uncertainty, high school sports were allowed to return to “normal,” whatever that may mean in the pandemic era, for the 2021-22 school year.

Sure, there were a few games missed by players due to positive test results or contact tracing, but it was nothing like the cancellation of spring sports in March 2020 or the rash of games, weeks and seasons lost due to testing and mass quarantines in the condensed 2020-21 year – which didn’t start in Washington until February.

Fans were allowed back in the stands, state champions were crowned, all-league teams were named and gathered for pictures again.

It was a needed and glorious return to high school sports for the most part.

One thing that hasn’t returned yet, unfortunately, is the Spokane Youth Sports Awards show, sponsored by the Spokane Sports Commission. This yearly event, known as the “ESPYs of Spokane” and held at the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox in downtown Spokane, was sidelined for the third year in row for a variety of reasons.

It’s a fantastic event that brings together some of the best athletes, coaches and teams from across Eastern Washington into one room to celebrate the terrific achievements from all sports and schools – big and small.

But again this year, there’s no red carpet, no limos, no stellar TV production to highlight the best that high school sports has to offer in the region.

We can’t offer the glitz and glamor, but we can try to do the next best thing.

Introducing The Spokesman-Review 2022 Youth Sports Awards.

It’s a condensed version of the annual awards show, but we wanted the opportunity to celebrate some of these athletes and achievements in our pages one more time.

Starting in today’s paper with the “Against All Odds” award and running all week, we’ll announce awards and honorable mentions for big and small school boys and girls athletes of the year, coach/teams of the year, and North Idaho boys and girls athletes of the year – 11 awards in all.

It’s a lot of work, and just like during the season, I won’t be doing it all.

Joining me in writing features this week will be Justin Reed, Keenan Gray and Madison McCord, who have each contributed to our coverage of high school sports all year long.

In addition, we’ll be featuring the artistry of the S-R’s award-winning photography staff and some of the talented freelancers we’ve had the chance to work with this year.

Lastly, a shout-out to our design and editorial staff, who make us look good week after week on the page and online.

I get thanked by athletes, parents, coaches and administrators in every high school venue I step into for continuing to cover high school sports as paper after paper in the state, region and country drops coverage. Those thanks help fuel me over the long nights and months during the high school year.

But a lot of the folks I just mentioned don’t get to hear those words and I wanted to make sure to pass them along here in a public manner.

Let’s hope next year we can all get dressed up and gather again for the fantastic experience that Spokane Sports puts together for the awards presentation. Until then, please check out our schedule for the week and enjoy our series celebrating these inspiring, engaging and fascinating student-athletes from across our region.