We've heard a lot about 2012 over the past few years, how this is supposed to be the last year of Earth and we're all going to die - you know, all those other warm and fuzzy prognostications.

I'm not sure I believe all that.

In fact, I think there is a lot to look forward to in 2012.

And you know what? We couldn't have gotten here without 2011, so let's give those 365 days their due.

What happened in 2011 has a big impact on what we can look forward to and expect this year.

So let's recap the year gone by and look forward to what we think will happen this year.

Here are the biggest area sports stories from 2011, and how they affect 2012.

RailHawks find stability: Was 2011 the year that saved the Carolina RailHawks' franchise?

The true answer will be years in the future, but there's no doubt the RailHawks made huge strides in areas most important to its livelihood - marketing and ticket sales.

Oh, and they were the regular-season champs.

Who knows what is to come in the future. The team is still owned by Traffic Sports USA, which owns the league and two other teams. The group could sell to a local investor this year. They could not.

When Traffic got involved with Carolina, it raised some eyebrows. But so far it's worked well for the franchise.

Athens' fight: This was a story really 30 years in the making, but the troubles the Athens Drive community has faced when trying to get needed - and in some cases government-regulation compliant - upgrades to Williams Stadium didn't come to light until late 2011.

On Jan. 17, the Raleigh City Council will decide whether the upgrades can be placed on the next Wake County Public School System construction bond.

It's hard to think of a reason why Athens would be denied a chance to upgrade its own facilities by a party that will allocate zero dollars to the cause. But the boosters, who have seen prior efforts fall by the wayside before getting this far, are on pins and needles as that date approaches.

New conferences : In the coming months, the current N.C. High School Athletic Association proposal for realignment in the 2012-13 season will be modified and then approved in May.

As it stands now, Green Hope and Panther Creek will be split off from their southwestern Wake foes and into a conference with four Durham schools plus Person County.

The Tri-Nine Conference has been spoiled in the last decade. Road trips - with exception to Lee County - have been short, allowing rivalries and big games to pack area stadiums.

Whether PC and Green Hope can work out something where the two won't join the PAC-6 Conference, there are two items sure to be discussed at length in the coming months: added travel costs and decline of gate money that comes with facing traditional rivals every year.

New coaches: We lost four area football coaches near the end of 2011, plus some of the state's most high-profile leadership positions in other fall sports such as Green Hope boys soccer and Apex volleyball.

After their vacancies are filled, it'll be interesting to track how those coaches fare next fall.