My parents taught me a valuable lesson when I was a young eight-year-old athlete.

That lesson was to forget about the past after a rough season in basketball or baseball because there’s always another season ahead.

For Iowa State fans, the last fall season can be forgotten with football winning three games, soccer being held out of a deserved NCAA Tournament bid and volleyball having an early departure in the NCAA Tournament.

This upcoming fall season could be one of the best I’ve seen in Iowa State athletics. I know, that seems astounding, but it could be true.

The men’s and women’s cross country teams have been an exceptional program for many years. I don’t see that changing in the future with the same coaches and a relatively same lineup from last fall.

The women’s team were Big 12 champions along with a third-place finish in the NCAA Midwest Region. The men’s team finished runner-up in the Big 12 Championships and a fourth-place finish in the NCAA Midwest Region.

I could see both cross country teams being Big 12 champions as well as national championship contenders. The similar coaching staff and runners for each team is always beneficial for experience and that will lead them to higher accomplishments this upcoming fall season.

The tennis and golf teams have steadily improved over the last couple years. This could be one of the peak seasons for all three teams with experienced players and a new facility for the tennis program.

The women’s tennis team has had the challenge of competing in the Big 12 Conference during the regular season. Last season, the team went 15-11 overall, but were 1-10 in the Big 12. The trend continues in the 2015-16 season as the team went 14-10 overall and 2-8 in the Big 12.

Now, the Big 12 in women’s tennis is one of the best conferences with seven of the 10 teams ranked in the top 40 nationally. That’s a tough task playing and defeating these types of teams consistently within a two-month period.

That challenge with the Big 12 Conference in the regular season will not be the only challenge for the tennis program. The team will be young this season.

Fortunately, the team only lost two players to graduation last year, but one of them was the team’s number one singles player, Samantha Budai.

This upcoming tennis team will consist of at least three sophomores, four juniors and zero seniors. If the team can figure out its leadership early, that will lead to a successful fall preseason and possibly a positive spring schedule.

If not, it could be another 2-8 or 1-9 Big 12 regular season.

The men’s and women’s golf teams had different fall seasons last year, but it led to a similar finish in the spring. The women’s team finished in the bottom third of most fall tournaments last season, which led to a second-place finish at the Big 12 Championships in the spring.

The men’s team started the fall season strong with two second-place finishes and one first place title. Then, the team finished in ninth out of 10 teams in the Big 12 Championship in the spring.

Literally, complete opposites.

The two golf teams have the capability to have similar fall seasons with first and second place finishes. This doesn’t just mean team success, but individual success leading to amateur championships.

The women’s soccer team deserved a spot in the NCAA Tournament last fall after improving its record by four games and holding a higher placement in the Big 12 Conference than Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and TCU.

Iowa State went 1-1-1 over the three schools who would later reach the NCAA Tournament over the Cyclones.

Makes no sense, right? Enough of my ranting, the NCAA knows they were wrong with that choice.

This soccer team is mad about the end of last season, so it’s adding more motivation this season to make the tournament unanimously. The team should make the tournament in my eyes, maybe not the eyes of the NCAA.

Even though three key players graduated last spring, the fall team is fast, young and talented. This will result in a 10-12 win season and a bid in the NCAA Tournament.

The volleyball team has reached the NCAA Tournament the last 11 years and this fall season will be become 12 years. Christy Johnson-Lynch knows how to win and that’s shown in her resume as coach.

Johnson-Lynch has her best hitter, best hitting percentage, the next Big 12 Libero of the Year, and a veteran setter. But that’s all. Should be a successful season with a deeper run in the NCAA Tournament.

Last season, the football team went 3-9 overall with a 2-7 Big 12 record. No bowl game, but a glimpse into the 2017 season with many returning key players.

Joel Lanning made a transition for the team from quarterback to linebacker. Jacob Park took over the quarterback role. Allen Lazard is preparing for the NFL. Things are looking positive with a week before the first game of the season.

The expectation from Iowa State fans and the community is that Iowa State will reach a bowl game this December. That means the team needs to win five games at least, six for a definite spot.

Those five wins will come from Northern Iowa, Akron, Texas, Kansas and Texas Tech. The sixth win will possibly come from the Iowa game. This will bring Iowa State to its first bowl game since 2009.

I see these five wins coming and Iowa State fans will pack their bags in December for a bowl game, as predicted by the Associated Press.

It’ll be an exciting season for season ticket holders, students and single game buyers because Iowa State athletics is poised to make a statement in the fall season from top to bottom.

All I would suggest is sit back and enjoy the ride.