This is one of the most enjoyable times of the year for me.
It's football preview time and that means driving out to area two-a-day practices.
The one constant at all of the practices I've visited is the overwhelming sense of hope the coaches and players have for their upcoming seasons.
Their belief in themselves, one another and their programs is inspiring.
Every player seems to believe they are going to have a winning season, even if their team didn't win a single game last year.
When I interview players, their answers are often the same:
"We are like family."
"We worked hard in the offseason and it's going to pay off."
"We have good senior leadership and that will help us win games this year."
My guess is some players are encouraged by their coaches to only mention the positives when a reporter starts asking questions. I understand that, and I appreciate that.
In my opinion, it's the perfect mind-set to have.
If you don't think your team is going to win a game, why would you be out on the practice field in the final weeks leading up to the start of the school year?
If you don't believe in one another, your coaches and the program, why would you devote countless hours to making something work?
You have to remain positive and hopeful if you want to have any shot of winning a single game.
That sense of hope applies to all areas of life including family, friends, school work and personal goals.
How many times do we focus on past mistakes and past losses when we should be focusing on a promising future?
Going to two-a-day practices reminds me to do just that.

-Theresa Neuhoff Audia