One of my pet peeves is when people ask me: “Don’t you get sick of covering high school sports?”

Three seasons of coverage. Summer. Repeat.

Oftentimes, the same schools win championships and the same coaches collect awards, resulting in repetitive headlines and practically identical photos of kids holding that same MIAA banner.

Surely, there are other beats in sports, news, and journalism that could be more fulfilling, right?

On year four of the job, I obviously disagree.

Other than spending time with my loved ones, sports are everything to me. And to the pretentious ones out there, if you think a ball going into a net and boneheads cheering afterward is what I’m referring to, you clearly don’t view sports as the artform they are.

It isn’t — and has never been — about a ball going into a net. It’s about the teamwork, spirit, and pride of a group of people doing so against another group of people with the same qualities — the same mission.

Sports can bring out the best of mankind and it’s beautiful to witness. May the best side win; may the other side learn and get better. That’s what it’s all about.

At least, it used to be . . .

I’m afraid professional and collegiate sports have lost touch. From owners and commissioners, all the way down to coaches and players, it seems like the games themselves are playing second fiddle to the less important.

Fantasy football and betting odds take up a quarter of the TV screen; White House visits and political endorsements are often newsworthy; players milk “rest” days and skip games a 10-year-old fan had circled on the calendar; college athletes are transferring three or four times, choosing a few extra bucks over qualities such as loyalty; media personalities shout at each other instead of breaking down X’s and O’s; commissioners — definitely not you, Adam Silver — give the players so much power, they might as well be in charge; athletes seem to prioritize their brands, podcasts, and gameday attire over performance; and superstars selfishly hold out on contract extensions days before the season starts.

I could go all day.

So, when people ask me that pet peeve of a question regarding high school sports, I think they’re crazy.

High school sports are still pure.

Sure, every now and then, coach John plays his son, little Johnny, at quarterback when the backup is clearly better. Or a school will occasionally bend the rules for its benefit.

Nothing is perfect.

For the most part, however, I believe high school sports still point to meritocracy, school spirit, common goals, and, most importantly, the growth of young men and women.

There are no “rest” days, podcasts, or shoe deals around here.

Next question.

Anyway . . .

• My brother-in-law deals sports cards. Last weekend, I showed him an old collector’s binder of mine full of NBA cards. After some online research, he told me one of my Kobe Bryant cards could’ve gone for $10,000 if one of the corners wasn’t bent. Why was 12-year-old me so fiscally irresponsible?
• Last week’s 9:40 p.m. Red Sox starts killed me, but drinking my morning coffee and seeing another victorious box score? There’s no better start to the day.
• Not to yuck on someone’s yum, but the World Cup just wasn’t for me. The players must’ve listened to the “SpongeBob SquarePants” theme song on repeat in the locker room: “Drop on the deck and flop like a fish!”
• If you want to find fans who are just as passionate as sports ones, go to the premiere of a comic book movie. My girlfriend and I watched “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” last week and the experience was great. Three people dressed as the webhead and hundreds clapped as the credits rolled. If only Milk Duds and a bottle of water weren’t $13.99.