I was at Speed O Field in East Butler Thursday evening, jotting down lineups prior to the Butler County Area Baseball League opener between Butler Township and East Butler when I realized the irony.

The last game I covered was exactly three months ago to the day — a girls basketball state playoff game that pitted North Catholic against Central Valley, March 11 at North Hills Middle School.

It was good to get back to paying attention to details of a game, copying down stats and thinking about the flow my story would have when I sat down in front of my computer at the office.

I was guilty of taking all of that for granted, but the recent quarantine made me think about how things I enjoy are not guaranteed.

Yes, there are more important things in life than sports. Hopefully, none of us needed the coronavirus outbreak to remind us of that.

But the most enjoyable times in life come when we are able to revisit our passions. For some, it's art, music, traveling ... sports certainly fills that role for many of us.

Whether it be kids playing at the youth level, high school athletes doing their thing, fans rooting for their favorite college or pro team and everything in between - sports gives us a reason to congregate and share in that passion with others.

That was put on hold for nearly three months. Things aren't back to where they were before the shutdown and they may never be quite the same. We may have to get used to the “new normal.”

My 5-year old son had gotten two practices in with his T-ball team in Slippery Rock when everything came to a halt in March. The league is going to salvage the season, however, and the third practice takes place Saturday.

He's excited and I'm excited for him. I will have my phone charged, ready to take just a few pictures.

If you have been able to return to your sports routine or if you are still waiting to do so, appreciate it a little more when it happens.

I certainly do.

Derek Pyda is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle