new year's thoughts

First off, Happy New Year to everybody out there! Matt Straub and I were having a conversation several weeks ago and we got to talking about which holidays were most important to us. It has often occurred to me that New Year's, since I was really old enough to stay up and celebrate, has always been one of my favorite and the most special holidays of the year. That seems interesting, since it really doesn't commemorate anything specific. It doesn't honor anything. It doesn't have any religious spiritual significance. But I do find New Year's spiritual. Let me try to explain.
New Year's Eve and New Year's Day appeal to the ever-present desire in each of us to begin anew. Let's face it. We all love a fresh start, particularly when things don't go so well. And who among us can often say at the end of a year that everything has gone well in the past 365 days.
But New Year's is also a time to remember the things that did go well. So in that respect, it serves the best of both purposes: looking back and cherishing special moments, and being able to look forward to better times to come.
While Christmas and Thanksgiving are always holidays I try to spend with my direct family first and foremost, New Year's is the opposite. On the last day of the year I always try to spend it with my best friends, who in many ways are just as much my family as that formed by blood. Close out the year with those who have made it special, and start the next year with the people you most want to share it with. But most importantly celebrate the new beginnings.

I guess I'll just share with you some of my favorite events and storylines from this year. As a reporter and writer, I naturally get attached to certain things that I get to cover each year. I can still remember my first year on the job and how awesome it was to cover the Farmington Little League team on its run to the Eastern Regional. But, of course, every year brings different things.
So here's what 2007 brought.
I loved watching the exciting play of the New Britain girls basketball team. Back-to-back titles in one of the most competitive classes in CT high school sports is a huge accomplishment. Speed, defense, outside shooting, intensity, and teamwork are the things I think when I watch this team, and sometimes you ask if they could have knocked off some weaker college teams.
I had a blast covering all the great local basketball players, many of whom graduated in June. Tim Abromaitis, Jeff Veneziano, Yasmin Ithier-Vicenty, Amanda Pierlioni, Ashley Borofsky, Doran Mitchell and the list goes on and on for last year's senior class. This year there's still a lot of talent there. I followed these kids' exploits on the court closely, and got to see them from early on in their high school careers. I still love bumping into many of them at games now, home on break.
I got to follow the Southington gymnastics team on a third straight New England title run. It was a sendoff for their brilliant senior class of Kristy Dougan, Jess Gianatti, Yvette Mirando and Shannon Strachel. I'm curious to see how the Knights reload this year (as I hear some pretty exciting rumors coming out of Southington in the preseason).
And thought I don't cover them every day, I got completely caught up in the season for the CCSU Blue Devils. No team better exemplified what hard work and toughness can get you. And they all did it with a smile and friendly hello after the game.
But of course, Spring is my favorite season, and I have a ton of special moments there. I got to see Farmington knock off Berlin in girls golf after year's of conference titles. Both coaches and teams were gracious.
I saw Sarah Sideranko and Kirsten LaPointe continue to improve and I can only imagine how good they'll be in two more years on the links.
The Newington baseball run was awesome. They were overlooked most of the season by the press in other parts of the state (shoreline bias), but we suspected how good they might be. Their 18-inning victory in the state quarterfinals over Fitch is probably the most exciting and unpredictable event I'll ever cover.
It's sad to see so many of them graduate at once, but I'm sure I'll see them on the other side of the fence this Spring, as perhaps no other program I cover has more alumni return to games.
In the most anticipated event of the year I watched the Plainville Blue Devils hand Fitch pitcher Matt Harvey his first career loss. The kid was good, and hopefully for him he'll move his way up the professional ranks in the coming years. But Plainville's Eric Luke got the job done, and Jamie Raymond slapped the ball to death at the plate. (Speaking of teams that should be good in 2008, coach Freimuth has a dynamite group coming back).
I enjoyed watching Plainville softball rise to the top of the NWC and nearly pull off what most would have considered a big upset in the postseason.
In the summer, I was a little late getting on the path of the Berlin NewAlliance team, but I did watch them roll through the playoffs for a third straight title and an undefeated season. And coach Baccaro is great to work with, a truly classy guy who instills that in his players.
The fall brought a very successful football season for local teams, and a near miss for Berlin. I won't soon forget that championship game.
But perhaps I was most excited to see Wethersfield competitive for the first time in a while. The Eagles seem to be continuing that into the basketball season as well.
The Wethersfield soccer team was a thrill ride. I've never had more fun watching a team play in a sport that I admittedly am not a big fan of. But they made me a fan of them, both on and off the field.
Winter is well under way with potential, meaning 2008 should be another memorable year. Predictions? I'm not that foolish this far in advance. But I'll be there.
Happy New Year to all of you ... and a clean slate for '08.