Does it really feel like it has been a year? How could time have possibly passed so quickly? This weekend marks the one year anniversary of Hurricane Harvey making landfall and devastating the Texas Gulf Coast. The effects of the ferocious winds go far beyond property damage or losing electrical power to certain areas - there was a ton of emotional damage as well.
What happens to a sports program in times like these? Do we cancel the season? Is that fair to the students? There are a multitude of questions and it seems like none of the answers are the right ones.
In the case of Rockport and Aransas Pass, there are just no words that can describe the aftermath. They were reported to be two of the hardest hit areas from wind damage, tornadoes, and flood damage.
Rockport had their team split up and sent to different surrounding schools, and the outlook of the season was bleak at best. Fortunately, a couple of weeks prior to district - the team was reunited and they won.
Coach Reyna of Aransas Pass had one of her strongest runners find a silver lining in the dark cloud left by Harvey. He let her know, "It's sad to say, but situations like this can sometimes make us stronger." His words resonate with the strength the community has shown even a year after they were affected.
One of their top runners moved back into their home as recently as this past week.
One year later, both teams have high spirits and positive attitudes. The destructive ambiance left by Harvey has turned into a memory that serves as the fuel these athletes use to keep moving forward.