Administrator’s Corner by Paul Durbahn

Paul Durbahn is the activities director for Albert Lea Area Schools.

We are surrounded by hearty and resilient people here in Minnesota, and that has been proven tenfold this winter. I believe most of us can agree that it has been an irregular winter and one that we will most certainly remember. The large sums of snowfall sure make it seem like spring will never emerge! Yet, every day we raise our shovels and address the adversity Mother Nature provides, and I like to imagine that most often we prevail.

The winter weather has provided adverse scenarios for high school activities this year as well. We’ve rescheduled countless games, meets, concerts, tournaments and events. The students, coaches and staff involved in activities at Albert Lea High School have done their best to respond to the adverse scenarios the winter months have provided. At Albert Lea High School we’d like to thank all of our loyal fans, parents and supporters for being understanding of all the abrupt schedule changes during the last couple months.

The thought of adverse winter conditions and our hearty and resilient people leads me to ponder the overlying theme of adversity. The ability to deal with adversity seems to be a prerequisite to success in this world. Naturally, within activities our students face adverse scenarios, preparing them for life challenges they may face in their future endeavours. The fact of the matter is what defines us isn’t whether we face adversity (because we will), but rather how we respond to it. So as we experience closure to one season filled with adversity, how will we approach the next?

We have a lot to look forward to as spring arrives. We will open spring sports registrations Tuesday, and spring sports practices will follow in the coming weeks. We will be hosting the Big9 Music Festival on May 3, followed by the spring play on May 11, 12 and 13. And of course, we proudly look forward to graduating this year’s crop of seniors. At Albert Lea High School, we will see demo and construction phases continue to unfold on the Hammer Field project, including the football and soccer stadium, the field house, the track and both the softball and baseball fields. These upgrades undoubtedly should provide great experiences for our students and fans, but the projects may provide some additional adversity in the months to come. Please join us at our spring events in the upcoming months and celebrate the exciting transition of Hammer Complex. I am confident the memories our students are making at Albert Lea High School will outweigh the memories of the frigid, snow-filled winter!