As I walked the dogs around the neighborhood on New Year’s Day night and realized that many families had already put an official end to the holiday season by taking down their outdoor decorations, it dawned on me that our longest break of the year from youth sports was over.

It made me smile as I thought about all the positives youth sports bring to our life.

Our boys are active and healthy, and for that, we are always grateful.  

They both play winter sports that take place inside gymnasiums, with every game no farther than 15 miles from our front door.  

Their indoor weeknight practices that don’t have to be scheduled early to end before sundown allows for family dinners at a normal hour. 

Their multiple youth sports responsibilities help them better manage school requirements which, in turn, make the transition back to homework, tests and projects easier. 

Their games reunite friends and families who, although they spent interminable time together leading into the holiday season, for the past two weeks were relegated to their own gatherings.

When I got back home, I looked at the calendar we keep on the fridge. We have exactly three days in the month of January when there isn’t a youth sports-related activity. Quite a difference from the two-week span of the holiday season. The filled calendar made me smile.

Just like taking down the lights outside and removing the decorations from the tree, a January calendar full of youth sports activities brings with it a feeling of “back to normalcy.” It’s a feeling we youth sports parents enjoy.

For that, we should be grateful.

Jon Buzby has been involved in and writing about youth sports for the past 30 years with perspectives as a parent, coach and board member. Jon is an award-winning writer and his latest book, “Coaching Kids Made Easier,” is available on Amazon. Send comments or future blog topics you'd like to see to JonBuzby@hotmail.com and follow him @YouthSportsBuzz on Twitter.