The sound of basketballs bouncing, water splashing and pucks hitting the glass could be heard all over Minnesota again Monday, with high school winter sports teams cleared for their first practices.
Winter sports teams return to action
Monday was the first day of practice after a four-week pause because of the coronavirus pandemic. And here are the stories of three of those prep athletes, and how they made the best of their time away from their favorite sports.
January 5, 2021 at 6:45AM
![Keegan Duffy of Edina cheered after receiving his first place medal. ] COURTNEY DEUTZ • courtney.deutz@startribune.com](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/KMEG2XCR3E2RUASL42GY5D5YU4.jpg?&w=712)
Gov. Tim Walz put youth sports on a four-week pause in November because of the pandemic and later extended that moratorium.
The wait through the holidays for Jan. 4 left plenty of time for soul searching for the athletes. A Minneapolis girls' hockey player found new hobbies. An Edina boys' swimmer took advantage of the extra time to heal injuries. And a Richfield boys' basketball player developed a newfound appreciation for the littlest things.
All were excited to get back to practice, knowing competition against other teams can start Jan. 14.
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Six players plus head coach Garrett Raboin and assistant coach Ben Gordon are from Minnesota. The tournament’s games will be televised starting Monday.
