Public service announcement: Christmas is coming everybody. The conclusion of Halloween festivities and the commencement of chilly November brings forth a wave of much awaited Christmas exhilaration that I await all year. I adore Christmas and all of its warm feelings, jolly music, and wonderful decorations- and I’m positive many of us can agree. The upcoming months are undoubtedly a very merry time, and that feeling of sheer, childish excitement infuses many parts of my life, including sports.

I have always been a feelings-orientated person, and I look back on previous times in my life and often classify them not based on what was happening at the time but rather how I was feeling. External events in my life often play a major role in how I am feeling. Because of that, I always perceive my sport of tennis as more memorable during these times, and it will quite literally cause me to enjoy it and the day-to-day activities more. I can say the same thing for that glorious end of the school year feeling, which is why I favor spring sports over the sports of other seasons.

I’m not the only one who feels this way. “Playing basketball during the Christmas season is far more special than normal times. I find that special times and holidays uplift the fun of basketball and make difficult times on the court easier to deal with,” agrees junior Adam Gray.

As you’ve most likely heard before, sports can challenge one’s mental abilities, so emotional afflictions such as festive times in the year can certainly have an impact on your sport as well. Personally, playing tennis during the holidays, or really doing anything else for that matter, is a special thing for me. Finishing up on the indoor courts and walking outside to be greeted with gentle flurries of snow and driving home amongst the twinkling Christmas lights as I play “All I Want for Christmas is You” is something that remains forever beloved in my heart.

With the Christmas season possibly affecting perceptions of sports, there’s some tangible traditions that arise in professional and collegiate sports as the months get colder. In October, the NHL preseason starts up, which awakens a great number of hockey fans that aren’t just excited for the season but for the annual Winter Classic. The Winter Classic is a unique hockey match that takes place in either a football or baseball stadium on New Year’s Day. Anticipation for this event always reigns high, similarly to excitement for the NFL’s Turkey Bowl games. Both the Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions will host a game, which traditionally lands on Thanksgiving Day and stretches all the way back to 1920.

The holidays bring a great time of cheer and merriment for all and can also have a sentimental impact on your sport; many holiday athletic traditions additionally come back around during this time of year. To me, this should be and always remain the most wonderful time of the year.