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News from the Athletic Director
Strength and Conditioning Update
Team News
Fall Beaver Gear Sales
From the ABC Presidents
ABC FAQ
Join our Board!
Golf Tournament Recap
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Oct 5: Curriculum Night (Beaver Gear for sale!)
Oct 16-21: Homecoming Week
Oct 21: Breakfast of Champions, Homecoming Football Game, Homecoming Dance
Dec 16: Jam the Dam (details TBA)
Jan 6: Ballard Athletics Blast
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Note from the Athletic Director
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Beaver Nation,
As the sun sets on another summer and the school bells are ringing again, I’d like to welcome everyone to the 2017-18 school year. Our fall sports have started the year off with success, and our winter and spring sports are ramping up the planning for their seasons. Lots of great things to look forward to at Ballard this year!
Before we talk about the coming year though, I would like to take a moment to thank so many people for their generous support – donating time, money, or even just coming down to cheer on our teams – there is no shortage of Beaver Pride. A prime example can easily be witnessed by the turnout at our annual Golf Tournament and Dinner of Champions. Beaver graduates from the past 60+ years get together enjoy a beverage and a meal, play a bit of golf (or hack at a ball if you’re like me!) and look to give back. If you haven’t had the opportunity to make it out to this event at Newcastle, I would encourage you to mark your calendars for August 26/27, 2018. I hope to see you there!
Our big focus this coming year is
“Unity”
. We have great coaches leading our programs, dedicated athletes working hard, and excited fans supporting from the stands. To borrow a phrase from JFK, I have always believed that “A rising tide lifts all boats” when it comes to athletic programs. As we raise our overall culture - focusing on being great Beaver Athletes, rather than just individual sports teams – our collective efforts are multiplied.
We have a few ways to accomplish this over the coming year, starting with the All-Sports Strength and Conditioning program that will begin this week. The goal is to get all of our athletes working together side-by-side, building respect among the programs, making new connections, and supporting a disciplined, focused culture in each sport. I believe no greater program can help our athletes than this and I hope to see your student-athlete at the morning workouts. Please check out more detailed information later in the newsletter!
The second way to support this vision is through leadership development. Starting in October, we will begin monthly meetings with the captains of each program. Our booster club has generously donated over $1500 to purchase
The Team Captain’s Leadership Manual
by Jeff Janssen, a book which I have used extensively over the last 13 years. The author does a great job of providing a framework of qualities and traits that create discussion for athletes from middle school through college. I highly encourage you to check it out!
The final way we are looking to build our athletic culture is by creating connections among you, our parents, families, and fans. As I have spent time in the stands at various events, and taken time to look back over successful programs I have been involved with, the connections built in the bleachers are as important as any on the field. Our booster club is planning events like the Breakfast of Champions in October and The Blast in January, but they aren’t stopping there! Please don’t be shy in reaching out with any new ideas you may have to help us create connections for everyone involved with Ballard Athletics.
Please consider joining us on our journey forward. I couldn’t be more excited for what the future holds for us! Go Beavers!
Always Grateful,
Jason Thurston, Athletic Director
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New Strength and Conditioning Program!
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This week we will begin training year round with a unified, all sports strength and conditioning program. Individual sports S&C programs will not work at the high school level. Kids are involved in far too many activities with too many demands on their time. A consistent approach to weight training leads to year-round growth and provides important schedule stability for everyone.
The framework for scheduling will revolve around whether an athlete is currently participating in a sport.
- Out-of-Season training will focus on power, quickness, strength, and flexibility. These athletes will train on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 7:15-8:15 in the morning.
- In-season athletes will have their programing designed around injury prevention, flexibility, and perfecting proper lifting form. Their training days are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:30 until 8:15, with Saturdays built in for flexibility around competition schedules.
Joe Palumbo of 3D Athletics will continue as our Strength Coach and will be assisted by 2008 Ballard graduate Colin Matthiesen – 2 coaches that are dedicated to all athletes regardless of current ability.
One concern that has been raised is whether co-ed weight training will provide a beneficial and supportive atmosphere for our female athletes. We believe that training side-by-side will only build respect among our programs and empower our young women. We are currently looking for a female strength coach, but rest assured, Coach Palumbo and Coach Matthiesen are excited to coach
all
of our kids!
We are happy to announce that our new strength and conditioning program will be taking place in a dramatically upgraded weight room. A very special thanks to Mr. Victor Salvino, Art Olsen and Sara Easter, Dan and Amy Wick, and Mason and Linda Williams, as well as the 42 additional families that generously donated a total of over $43,000. The equipment has been ordered and should arrive near the end of the month. We cannot wait to show it to all of you at the Breakfast of Champions on Oct 21st – we look forward to seeing you there!
We’re excited to take risks, chart new paths, and boldly push to be the best versions of ourselves! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to stop by.
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Football
The 2017 season is off and running! The off-season commitment to the weight room and the purchase of blocking sleds have made our program much more physical and confident. Over the summer we went to a Team Camp and made it to the championship game in every event we participated in. We followed that up with a great fall camp where we grew a lot as a team.
Again this season we are a pretty young Varsity squad with 17 of our 22 starting positions being held by underclassmen. Our JV squad looks promising and will have their first game this Monday (9/18) against Ingraham. The Freshman team looks like they are going to be a good team this year. They play their first game Saturday (9/16) at home against Eastside Catholic.
We have made great strides as a program and are excited to continue to put in the day to day work that will help us meet our potential both on and off the field.
If you haven’t already follow us on Facebook (Ballard Beaver Football), Twitter (@BallardHSPride), and Instagram (ballardbeaverfootball).
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Girls Swim and Dive
Girls’ Swim and Dive is off to a strong start with a big win over Ingraham. Olivia Gabanek is within half a second of her state cut in the 50 freestyle, and the 200 Medley Relay of Addy Keenan, Hanna Parker, Corinne Pickering, and Olivia Gabanek is within two-and-a-half seconds of state.
The team has chosen Supportive, Determined, and Ambitious as is core covenants, and this outlook on the season is showing up in improvements in squad leadership and enthusiasm from the younger swimmers along with the willingness to take on a tougher training regimen.
The way forward for the rest of the season includes defending state champions, Lakeside, and league rival Roosevelt. We’re going to need all hands on deck, so come out and support our swimmers and divers!
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Volleyball
Ballard volleyball is competing and working hard. We have three strong teams. Please come out and support us!
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Boys Basketball
Coming off a positive summer of hard work in the weight room, on the court and on the road at camps, the Boys Basketball program is counting down days until tryouts begin on Nov. 13th. From new freshmen to returning upperclassmen, young men interested in playing this season should attend weekly strength and conditioning workouts (7am on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays at BHS), as well as open gyms (Tuesdays at 7pm and Saturdays at 11am starting 9/19 at BHS).
The first game of the season is just over 2 months away as Ballard hosts Glacier Peak, Tuesday, Nov. 28th before jumping right into Metro League play.
For updates on the program including pre-season training and in-season updates, follow @BallardBBall and check the program's website:
ballardboyshoops.com
. Go Beavs!
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Girls Basketball
We had a great Summer season with tournaments, team camp at Oregon State University, and our biggest ever Ballard Girls Basketball Camp! This Fall, many of our players are playing in Fall League. We look forward to welcoming many new players this Winter. Tryouts are November 13-15, so please sign up and join the team!
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Gymnastics
We had a great summer of training and are about to start Captains' Workouts as we enter the fall. Starting the 21st, they will be held Tuesdays & Thursdays from 3:50-4:30. Meet by the locker rooms. Everyone who is interested in joining the team is welcome!
First day of practice is Nov 6th, and now would be a great time to start getting paperwork turned in.
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Girls Lacrosse
With summer coming to an end, the members of the Ballard girls lacrosse team wrapped up participation in summer travel teams and informal summer practices. Captains for the 2018 spring season will be juniors Nell Baker and Rachel Howell, and seniors Amika Smalley and Lily Rehfeldt. An informational meeting for all interested and returning players will take place on Wednesday, September 20th after school at 2:30pm. Both new and experienced players are welcome!!
The girls lacrosse team is looking to build on a successful 2017 season where the team narrowly missed making playoffs and ended the season strong with wins over several tough teams. Captains will be organizing fall/winter practices starting in the next couple weeks to start getting ready for the season -- even though summer is just ending, the spring season will be here before we know it!
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Fall Beaver Gear Sales until October 7
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Beaver Gear sales are open for a limited period a few times per year -- place your order or come to one of our pop-up shops before October 7 to get your gear this fall!
We are excited to share new items with BHS families! We have something for everyone---sizes from youth to 3XL in tees, new beanies, and a supporter scarf!
Show your school spirit and support Ballard High School with official Beaver Gear. Don’t be fooled by Beaver Gear sold online or at local drug stores --
BHS receives little to no benefit from outside sales
.
Look online
to view styles and then come shop in person at our fall sporting events pop-up shops or at Curriculum night, October 5 from 6:00-9:00.
Can't make it in person? Fill out your
Beaver Gear order form
(download here or find it in Back to School packets), turn in with a check and pick up in the school office. Questions? email
bhsabcgear@gmail.com
.
Thanks for supporting Ballard!
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Welcome to all of the new Ballard High School athletes and families, and welcome back to all of those returning!
We hope that you all enjoy receiving the Athletic Booster Club Newsletter throughout this year. The newsletter will inform you about what our various teams are up to, how their seasons are going and highlight special games (pre and post season) as well as athlete achievements. It is our platform to share news about what the Athletic Booster Club is up to and events we are hosting and participating in. It will include
news, information and stories from our Athletic Director, Jason, as well as occasional updates
from the school Trainer, Loka and the school Strength and Conditioning Coach, Joe. Team coaches will use this newsletter to impart information about upcoming camps, fundraisers and other opportunities offered to athletes outside of their scheduled season. This also is where you will find out about special Beaver Gear sales and limited edition items for sale.
Every year in late August The Ballard High School Alumni Foundation puts on the Annual Foundation Dinner, Auction and Golf Tournament in support of our athletics and performing arts programs, and the ABC offers critical support to this event by coordinating volunteers. A huge THANK YOU to all of the parents, athletes and alumni that volunteered at this year’s event. We appreciate your helping to make The ABC’s role in this a little easier. This event helps raise substantial funds to support all athletes with a direct ask, supports individual teams with grant money and supports the Ballard High School Performing Arts with a dessert dash. The Foundation could not put this on with out the support of our alumni, our students, our parents and The ABC. Great work everyone!
As we enter week two of classes we hope you are all off and running (no pun intended), and look forward to seeing you all at various ABC events and on the sidelines as we watch our Ballard Athletes perform.
Go Beavers!
Co-presidents
Lauren Molloy-Johnson
Jennifer Doherty
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ABC Frequently Asked Questions
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What exactly
is
the ABC?
The Ballard High School Athletic Booster Club (BHS ABC) is a group of parents and staff that supports the student-athletes and athletic programs at Ballard High School. We
support
athletic programs at Ballard High School by providing administrative, communication, and bookkeeping services; we
promote
BHS sporting event attendance, school spirit, and camaraderie for all Beavers; and we
advocate
for BHS Athletics in the surrounding community.
Ok, so what do you do?
The ABC Board meets monthly with the Athletic Director to make sure that our efforts align with BHS Athletics values and goals. One of our most important jobs is maintaining financial records and managing bank accounts for all BHS sports teams, so that coaches and team parents are not also required to be bookkeepers. We also:
- pay for and maintain the Ballard Athletics website
- pay for, produce, and distribute this newsletter
- produce and sell Beaver Gear
- host the Ballard Athletics Blast fundraiser
- purchase fun Beaver Swag for giveaways at select sporting events
- give $3000 to the end-of-year Beaver Nation Athletic Awards Night
- pay an annual percentage of the Strength and Conditioning coach's salary
- provide grants to the Athletic Director for special projects that benefit BHS Athletics
I want to support BHS athletes! What can
I
do?
- Become a member of the ABC! Membership fees help cover our costs and keep the ABC strong.
- Consider joining the ABC board -- read about open positions below.
- Become a team parent, or offer to help your existing team parent -- volunteering to help out with a team's administrative, fundraising, or communications tasks means that the coach has more time to focus on his or her athletes.
- Buy and wear Beaver Gear, especially when you are out supporting our Beavers at sporting events.
- Plan on attending the various social and fundraising events we host throughout the school year. Help us build community while we celebrate our athletes!
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Open ABC Board Positions
VICE PRESIDENT:
One or two people needed to shadow the current presidents with the intention of taking over that role in the following school year. Lauren and Jennifer are now serving their third term in the position of president and both intend to step down next year. Having someone prepared to take over with knowledge of the job is an ideal situation. This year the VP positions would be minimal commitment but an invaluable education for next year’s presidency.
TREASURER:
We can't overstate the importance of this position to all of the teams at Ballard. The ABC Treasurer manages all BHS team accounts, with deposit, reimbursement, and check-writing responsibilities, but the job does not include tax prep. Providing a shared treasurer gives stability to the teams and means that they are not each responsible for finding their own volunteer treasurers every year. The work for this position is heaviest at the start of each season, when teams are fundraising and purchasing equipment. We have a clear outline of duties and the work can easily be split between two people.
If you have bookkeeping skills and a little time to spare, please consider volunteering for this job.
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Golf Tournament Recap
The Dinner of Champions and Golf Tournament was held at Newcastle Golf Course on August 27th and 28th by The Ballard Foundation. There were over 200 guest for dinner and the auction. Despite a hot day, there were over 170 golfers including a foursome from our girls golf team.
The raise the paddle garnered over $40,000 and it will directly benefit The Henry Bendele Strength and Training Center; teams should receive their individual grants by October 1
.
Special thanks to:
- Sara Wetsone, Brad Baker and Mike Broom for their fantastic selling of raffle tickets
- the Cheer Team for their work welcoming the golfers
- Ultimate for running the Putting Contest
- Girls Basketball for supervising the Hole in One contest
- all the parents, coaches, and teams who donated, volunteered, and participated
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Visit the ABC website for specific team info, sports calendars, and more!
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Join the BHS Athletic Booster Club and help us support Ballard athletes!
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