As we put a wrap on another year, I too am closing up shop.

After five-plus years at Evergreen Newspapers, I will no longer be with the company when the calendar flips to 2010.

I’m not quite sure what I am going to do next; perhaps teaching, personal training or both. But, I am excited to see where this new road takes me.

Trying to sum up my experiences at Evergreen Newspapers would make for a small book rather than a column, so I’ll do my best to get right to the point and make sure I thank some very important people that aided me in my job.

First off, I have to say a big thank you to all of the athletic secretaries at the following schools: Chatfield, Columbine, Clear Creek, Conifer, Dakota Ridge, Evergreen, Front Range Christian and Platte Canyon. I know I leaned on you ladies a lot for various information, whether it was contact numbers, interview times or schedule changes. No matter the request, you all did your best to accommodate me. It’s true what they say: athletic secretaries are the heart and soul of the school. I seriously couldn’t have done my job without all of your help, ladies. Thank you so much for your time, patience and friendship.

I’ll also miss my chats with the school athletic directors. I was blessed to be able to cover schools that had a lot of stability in key positions, so I was able to form relationships quite early at most schools. I really can’t think of a bad thing to say about any of the leaders of the athletic departments at any of the respective schools I’ve covered, and that is perhaps the greatest compliment I can give.

In nearly six years, I’ve seen a lot of coaches come and go, but I’ve also had the privilege of covering some coaching legends.

So, to all of the schools that I had the privilege of covering, I say thank you for allowing me into your hallways, gymnasiums and playing fields. I also wish all of the schools’ athletic teams the best of luck in future years.

Finally, thank you to all of the readers that shared their comments and opinions with me. I know we didn’t always see eye-to-eye, but hey, that’s the beauty of journalism. Either way, I’m just glad you all were reading what I published each and every week. I hope you continue to support these great papers.