The lights are on, the gym floor is shining, and the Redhawks are back in season. Our volleyball, football, and golf teams have already begun, and the energy at all venues has been exactly what we hope for: students competing hard, families in the stands, and a community showing up for its kids.

If you have not been to a game yet this year, this is your invitation. Come out and cheer. We host Wiley this Friday, September 4 with junior high volleyball starting at 2:00 p.m., followed by high school volleyball and junior high football at 4:00 p.m. and Friday Night Lights - Varsity Football at 7:00 p.m.

It matters to our student-athletes more than they will ever tell you, and it matters to our town.

Why we do this. La Veta Athletics and Activities exist to develop the whole student through experiences that extend the classroom and build a strong sense of ownership and belonging. Through growth, learning, teamwork, and competition, every Redhawk practices and lives the district's C.L.A.W.S. values: Community, Leadership, Attitude, Work Ethic, and Safety.

That is our mission, and it shapes how we run every program. Activities and athletics are essential extensions of our classrooms. Growth and learning are the main objective of every club and team. Our programs exist so students practice personal responsibility and integrity, and teamwork and competition build character, leadership, and sportsmanship along the way.

The values our students learn in the classroom under C.L.A.W.S. are the same values they live in competition, so our programs reinforce, rather than compete with, what we expect of every student. We pursue continuous improvement, displayed with pride and practiced with poise.

How athletics lives C.L.A.W.S. Pride and Poise is how Redhawk Athletics expresses the district's five values. Pride in how we represent La Veta. Poise in how we compete. Growth and learning in every season. Ten athletics core values are nested under the five C.L.A.W.S. pillars:

When you see a Redhawk shake hands after a tough loss, pick up a teammate, or thank an official, that is not an accident. That is the point.

Come out and cheer. Admission to home events is $8 for adults and $6 for fans 65 and older. Children under 3 are free. We accept credit cards, with a $1 processing fee for card payments, and concessions are available so you can make an evening of it.

Every schedule for every team is posted at www.lvk12.org/page/athletics. Want to follow along when you cannot be there in person? Rosters, scores, and results are on MaxPreps at maxpreps.com/co/la-veta/la-veta-redhawks. And if you want to wear your Redhawk pride in the stands, Spirit Wear is available online at shop.game-one.com/colorado/la-veta/la-veta-redhawks.

We do our best to show up with pride and poise. We hope you will show up too. See you at the game. Go Redhawks!