by Mike Caldwell, Jessamine Journal Publisher

Fall is most definitely in the air. Some people get excited for the kaleidoscopic changing of the leaves, spooky Halloween fun or the fact that fall is the gateway to the Christmas holiday season that awaits just around the corner.

Those things are all great, but fall also means that pigskins are starting to fly and the round ball will be bouncing in Rupp Arena soon enough.

For many sports fans, this is the greatest time of the year. As the saying goes, “hope springs eternal” — even though it is technically autumn.

That means every team has a chance, a clean slate to write their own story.

The community can see that at the high school level, where East and West are both looking to build a foundation of success.

Perhaps the greatest element of sports, though, is the one that transcends the field of play and goes well beyond the court.

Sports are about people, telling the human story perhaps as good as anything else in life.

Things you won’t see on the scoreboard include triumph over adversity, tales of overlooked individuals rising above expectations and the “Davids” beating the “Goliaths.”

And this is like that on every team, for every school, in every sport. The men and women all have stories to tell and that is why sports resonates so strongly with me and many others.

So, bring on the pumpkin pie, the cool air, the football weekends and a basketball season around the corner.

While you pay attention to the scores, don’t miss some of the amazing stories behind them.

Michael Caldwell is publisher of The Jessamine Journal and Jessamine Life magazine. He can be reached at (859) 469-6452 or by email at mike.caldwell@jessaminejournal.com.