I love sports.

I know, given what I do for a living, that this simple statement probably doesn’t surprise anyone. But the chief reason for my affection might.

Sure, there’s exhilaration in victory and depression in defeat. Like most of you, I grew up a fan and have followed teams since I was 6 years old. Caring “too much” about sports can overwhelm you like an addiction — a detriment to more important things in life.

However, the heart of athletic competition isn’t the outcome; it’s the journey.

This week, thousands of Kenosha County teenagers made preparations for the first competitions of the fall sports season.

On the sports desk we have a basic assumption when it comes to covering high school athletics: Every athlete tries hard. Just how hard is difficult to appreciate until one of your own begins the journey, especially for the fall sports season.

While the WIAA sets mandates for the earliest day of practice, those involved with a fall sport understand it starts a lot earlier than that date. Between camps, strength and conditioning sessions and informal gatherings, high school athletes begin the fall season pretty much right after the spring season ends. It truly is a summer-long process.

It’s that commitment while school isn’t in session that every athlete needs to be commended for. Instead of sleeping their summer away, fall athletes continue to get up at the crack of dawn to either hit the weightroom or run lines or do whatever it takes to improve at their chosen sport.

Not to be forgotten is the equally strenuous (without burning quite as many calories) commitment made by parents, coaches and program volunteers. Without them, many athletes would never get up and out at the crack of dawn or have a place to hone their skills.

For everyone involved with a fall sport, the start of the school year really isn’t a beginning, but just another step in the journey. Teams and individuals alike start reaping what they sowed all summer long this week.

But the seeds planted this summer can have a much more lasting impact.

Making the commitment to work hard to improve and putting all you’ve got into getting the most out of your abilities is a concept that transcends sports. The same commitment can (and should) be made in the classroom, at home, in the workplace and in the community.

Don’t get me wrong; at the high school level the outcome matters. You play to win the game.

But at the end of the day, the wins and losses are secondary to the life lessons learned along the way.

Enjoy the journey.

* Book it (21-19): In an all-too familiar refrain for the 2009 season, the Chicago Cubs let me down again by taking just 1-of-4 in Los Angeles.

A glutton for punishment, I’m going back to the Cubs’ well one more time. The Cubs will enter the final game of a 10-game homestand against the Chicago White Sox next Thursday with at least six victories in tow.

Mike Larsen can be reached at