In a new addition to the year, Football Head Coach Ross Humphries has created a weekly newsletter, detailing the football events and moments from the week.

“We have made [the football team] as much of a family and relationship environment as we can,” Humphries said. “We decided that we still needed to have that [environment] to the best of our ability, and we needed the parents to see it, and the community to see it.”

The idea came from another school, and was forwarded back to Humphries through past alumni. 

“We got the idea of the newsletter from the college football program at Valley City State University,” Humphries said. “One of the old players now plays for them, and their family forwarded me their weekly newsletter.”

The newsletter came as a direct response to one of the many things that COVID-19 has caused the football team to lose this year, weekly dinners.

“One of the big things that we do each week is have a team dinner, usually the night before the varsity game,” Humphries said. “We bring up a player from each class, and have them share what football means to them. ‘We also have a “Person of Impact Program,’ where seniors come up and nominate a faculty member at Ballard that has had a positive impact on their lives.”

In the future, COVID or not, the weekly newsletter will continue. “The newsletter will definitely be something going forward,” Humphries said. “It has been a very cool response from teachers and parents, and many alumni say they feel more connected with the school.”