Nice Friendly Groovy
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Life is right in Lincoln. One of the region’s best-kept secrets.
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MEMORIAL STADIUM OCT 31 vs. WISCONSIN UNLimited_10.20 5
Editor’s Letter
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hange is a good thing. I have, and hopefully always will, believed that. But with change comes uncharted waters and unknowns. Naturally, humans are skeptical of this. We often like to be comfortable and know what challenges lie ahead. Where is the fun and growth in always being comfortable? Sometimes, it’s necessary to change by creating a challenge for yourself. Sometimes, you need to step outside of your comfort zone to discover new qualities about yourself. Sometimes, you set high expectations and do something you’ve never done before. And that’s what we’re doing with this magazine at
UNLimited Sports. The College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is at an intriguing place right now: It’s changing. The new Sports Media and Communication major is one of the fastest growing majors on campus. In the spring of 2018, the major launched and now -- just two and a half years later -- is blooming with nearly 250 students coming to Lincoln, Nebraska, from
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across the country and world. I’m just a little too old to reap all of the benefits, but I’m trying to take advantage of some -- like the opportunity to produce this magazine through the college’s Sports Media and Communication capstone course and UNL’s first-ever student-run sports publication: UNLimited Sports. This semester, we are trying something new with this publication. Our goal is two-fold: to provide our readers with Nebraska’s untold sports stories while laying out a first-rate opportunity for our insanely-talented group of student storytellers, photographers and creative designers all soon to be entering the world of sports media. We hope these stories are a breath of fresh air in the loud and obnoxious world in which we live. Please, enjoy. Do you sign these? I don’t know. Never done this before.
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- WIll Bauer Class of 2021
UNLimited | SEPTEMBER 2020
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CO N T E N TS ia and Communication capstone course and student-run sports publication:
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16 MEET THE TEAM
64 MENTAL STATES
husker pride delivered to your door runza.com/shop
How are student athletes dealing with COVID?
75 PART 1: Q&A Nick Push of Omaha’s Junior Vikings Football team
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www.runza.com
30 sports media UNL seniors team up to debut magazine project
42 MOTORSPORTS NASCAR analysts and drivers talk viewership and local racing
50 HORSEMAN PARK Sports betting in Nebraska could expand this election
30 MINORITY STUDENT ATHLETE RALLY Call for action at Memorial Stadium
36 HOCKEY HEAVEN Is The Cornhusker State becoming The Hockey State? UNLimited_10.20
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Starting Lineup
The Nebraska Wesleyan University Men’s cross country team begins the Simpson College Cross Country Dual at Pioneers Park on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
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Starting Lineup
Runners continue up the hill after the 1-mile mark of the Harvest Moon Hustle on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020, in Elmwood, Nebraska. Lydia Asplin Photo
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Preston Decker, runner at Nebraska Wesleyan University, and Head Coach Ted Bulling, speak before the Simpson College Cross Country Dual at Pioneers Park on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020.
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MEET THE TEAM MEET THE TEAM Ad Manager Hometown: Norfolk, Nebraska Dream job: College football analyst
Ad Manager Hometown: Lincoln, Nebraska Dream job: Work for professional sports team
My story didn’t start at the University of Nebraska. I actually used to attend South Dakota State University where I also played on the Jackrabbit Football Team, so obviously sports has had a large impact on my life. I ended up transferring to UNL to begin my junior year of college and finish out my college career. The beauty of having a job in sports is the potential to move virtually anywhere in the country. I plan on moving around a few times when the opportunity presents itself.
Growing up being 6-foot-7, I and others thought I could hold some type of career athletically. However, I soon realized that I wasn’t even close to having the talent to play collegiately, let alone professionally. This didn’t stop my love of sports, whether it be through ESPN when I was younger or through social media now. As I journeyed to college, I started in the College of Business, which I soon realized I had neither the motivation or passion to be happy in a career as an accountant. My parents and advisers, knowing my love of sports, suggested I look for a career in sports media, and I haven’t looked back.
BrendOn Caskey
Matthew Chambers Ad Manager Hometown: Mandeville, Louisiana Dream job: American Sign Language interpreter
Ad Manager Hometown: Friend, Nebraska Dream job: Football broadcaster
Something that makes me unique is my passion for the things that I love. I’m very into my culture and bringing light to things people may not know. I am also very into deaf culture and its language and always have been -- since I was 14. Learning more about these two cultures over the years has really opened my eyes in many different ways. I look forward to learning about new interesting things every day.
I come from a small town of about 1,000 people and graduated
Chelsey Jones
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with 20 students in my class. I think that is what makes me unique because in an area like that, you know everyone and everyone knows you. In a small town, a lot of talk goes around if it’s true or not. From this I chose to treat everyone with respect because no matter what people say about a person, I believe everyone gets a fair chance. When I talk to people, I envision myself in their shoes to try and relate to them because we never know what someone else has experienced. This is why I came to UNL: Not only to tell my story but also to tell other’s stories.
Journalist Hometown: Parker, Colorado Dream job: Host of my own sports talk show
Graphic Designer Hometown: Sioux Falls, South Dakota Dream job: MLB play-by-play announcer
Growing up, I was always playing or watching sports. My niche was waking up at 6 a.m. in order to watch an hour of SportsCenter before I’d have to go to school. This habit started when I was in first grade and would follow me all the way to high school. I remember how excited I was to tune in and watch highlights, listen to analysis and enjoy what the world of sports had to offer that day. So, it makes sense to me that I’d choose to spend my years in college writing and covering sports. Hopefully one day I can be the one on the television screen showing highlights and giving analysis to the kid who is up an hour early before they have to go to school.
I am a baseball fan, and it is my entire life. I have no desire to do anything else in life other than being part of baseball in some way, shape or form. Right now, I am simply trying to get through college as soon as I can, so I can broadcast baseball. I don’t think baseball is boring or should appeal to the casual fan. If you don’t like that, fine, that’s why golf was invented.
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MEET MEET THE THE TEAM TEAM
Ethan Whitmire
Ryan Dean
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Graphic Designer Hometown: Lincoln, Nebraska Dream job: Marketing director for professional sports team
Journalist Hometown: Lincoln, Nebraska Dream job: NASCAR media or PR specialist
I grew up in Lincoln right at the end of the Huskers’ golden era of college football and as a result, became infatuated with sports at a very young age. Growing up, I bled Husker red and was lucky enough to be able to remember many great Husker memories like Eric Crouch winning the Heisman, being in the stands as the Huskers stomped LouisianaLafayette 55-0 for the 300th consecutive sellout, the women’s basketball team’s undefeated season and numerous volleyball championships. This love for Huskers athletics and sports, in general, led me to switch my major out of the engineering program and into sports media where I knew I would be closer to my true dream job.
This major is perfect for me because sports have been a huge part of my entire life. My favorite sport is NASCAR, which is partly what I chose to write my feature story on. Some of my hobbies include listening to music (mainly classic rock) and collecting sports memorabilia. I’m also a huge fan and collector of The Beatles. With that being said, as the late John Lennon once sang, I hope you “Don’t Let Me Down” by not reading our entire magazine filled with great content!
Bryce Zimmerman
Graphic Designer Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Dream job: Director of creative
Journalist Hometown: Shenandoah, Iowa Dream job: Network broadcaster or play-by-play commentator
Growing up in Milwaukee, I quickly came to appreciate major sports teams having the Bucks, Brewers and Packers. I have always had a passion for sports and when I found myself looking for colleges, I knew I needed a place where sports was important. Nebraska has become a home-away-from-home and a place I have come to appreciate. The fan base in Nebraska is unlike any other since there are no professional teams. I feel like with my childhood experiences along with the constant care and attention I received at UNL, I will be able to tackle any job in the very near future.
When I was 7 years old, I told my family of Huskers fans that I would attend the University of Nebraska. I’m not really sure if I really meant that at the time, but I sure did when I got to high school. I struggled with finding a future career I was passionate about. As much as I wanted to play college sports, even I knew that was a stretch. That’s when I fell into the world of radio broadcasting, and I decided I could mix the two ideas together. I give all of the credit to my parents: my dad, who gave me the love of sports and my mom who showed me the world of radio. I’m excited to experience the real world and strive for my dreams.
Caelan Debban
Journalist Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska Dream job: Work with a Chicago sports team
Journalist Hometown: Winside, Nebraska Dream job: Feature writer/TV analyst for Midwest football and basketball
Ever since I was born, I have been a sports guy. All the content I watch and read is sports. I love my Chicago sports teams to death and same with the Huskers. To work in the sports world would be a dream come true. My parents would always tell me when I was growing up: “You need to just work in sports already.” So, hopefully that will be happening soon.
I am a student at Nebraska majoring in sports media and journalism. I grew up in a town of about 400 people where most people don’t leave the Northeast Nebraska area. My graduating high school class had 16 kids. I, like most other Nebraska boys, dreamed of being on the Huskers Football team, but now I get to cover them, which is super cool. Besides sports, I like working with plants and meteorology.
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MEET MEET THE THE TEAM TEAM Journalist Hometown: Silver Creek, Nebraska Dream job: Play-by-play sportscaster for large media company
Journalist Hometown: Midland, Texas Dream job: College baseball play-by-play announcer
I was born with epilepsy. As a baby I would have anywhere from seven to eight epileptic seizures a day. I didn’t say my first words until I was nearly 5 years old because of this and doctor’s believed I would never live a normal life. I had my last seizure in the summer of 2006 and have not been on medication since. I think what makes me unique is that despite all odds, I’m in my senior year of my sports media and communication degree.
Here at the University, I play baseball, and I bring that point of view to the journalism school. Unlike most people, I can understand the athletes we cover in a slightly different way, and I feel that helps me make the interview process move more smoothly for the athletes. Similarly, I understand the demands they go through in a day-to-day schedule and can relate. My plans are to play out my eligibility, and hopefully my experience will help me get a job in the baseball world down the road.
Dustyn Stortzum
Francis Forte
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Jaxon Hallmark Journalist Hometown: Hackettstown, New Jersey Dream job: Media relations director for New Jersey Devils
Journalist Hometown: Chicago, Illinois Dream job: Play-by-play announcer
As a kid growing up in New Jersey, I could have never predicted that I would attend college at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I played hockey for over 10 years and always knew that I wanted to work in sports. Spending the last three years in The Cornhusker State has allowed me to chase my dreams of working in the sports industry. I have been very fortunate to work in the Nebraska Athletics Communications Office for the last two years as the Student Sports Contact for the Huskers’ Women’s Gymnastics program. I am excited to write in-depth stories about hockey during my time with UNLimited Sports.
I am a senior broadcasting and sports media major from Chicago. My dream job is to become a play-by-play announcer for NASCAR or football. I love to golf competitively and play for the Nebraska Club team, and I love the outdoors.
Jake Bartecki
Journalist Hometown: Yorba Linda, California Dream job: Front office NBA executive
Journalist Hometown: Lincoln, Nebraska Dream job: Communications for Division I athletics
Coming from Santiago Canyon College in Southern California, I have always felt my professional goal is to be in some way involved in the sports industry. Then once I was accepted to UNL, I found my new home in the sports media and mass communication major. Over the course of my time here, I have been lucky enough to be around incredible people all while gaining exposure to the college sports landscape. Upon graduation, I am hoping to attend graduate school and move back home to California. In my free time I love to travel, play golf and discover new music. At some point in my professional career, I am hoping to get a front office position with an NBA franchise.
I hope to educate students and empower women to come forward with their experiences and feel confident in a university system that will fight for her and protect her. I hope that I can bring light to this issues and that I will become an important issue for university leaders. I am passionate about fighting for women not only because I am one, but because I cannot continue to watch my friends have these experiences and have to change their lives around men who do not face repercussions for their actions.
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MEET MEET THE THE TEAM TEAM Journalist Hometown: Sioux Falls, South Dakota Dream job: Basketball analyst, preferably WNBA
Journalist Hometown: Kenesaw, Nebraska Dream job: Work in collegiate athletics
I am a third generation Husker, as well as the third son in my family to attend UNL. Basketball-Reference is my first and second bookmark on my computer, and I wholeheartedly support the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Mercury. I have two different volleyballs signed by Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook. Outside of sports, I love reading fantasy novels -- my favorite is the Wheel of Time. The sports I enjoy the most are basketball and volleyball, closely followed by soccer.
Ever since I was young, I was competing in sports such as basketball and wrestling. Living in Kenesaw, a small town of about 1,000, it was normal for nearly everyone to compete in sports. In high school, I ran cross country, wrestled and participated in track. But even though I competed in athletics, I never really found myself in the role of a fan until later in high school. In college, I searched for a profession that brought me happiness, and I found the sports media major. Since then, I have become a huge sports fan and have found a career I’m passionate about that doesn’t feel like work.
Lincoln Shafer
Taylor Riemersma Journalist Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska Dream job:US soccer writer
Journalist Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska Dream job: Host a national radio show
My story is that I love to tell stories, especially through the lens of sports. These stories are about more than scores, teams and wins. They’re about the people who make the games what they are. I love to capture the stories and histories of the games and people around me, and there are many great stories to be told in this state. I will graduate next year and I anticipate I will not live in my home state forever. But the stories I got to tell will never go away, and that’s what I love about it.
My story is I have always been a huge sports fan growing up. In first grade, I was not allowed to watch SpongeBob SquarePants, so I went three channels down to this show called SportsCenter and have fell in love with it ever since. What makes me unique is I am very empathetic, so I think that makes me a good storyteller as well as capturing what the athletes want to convey their message through their stories. I hope for the future I will be able to write and tell stories about athletes for the rest of my life.
Luke Mullin
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Tyler Fangman Journalist Hometown: Lincoln, Nebraska Dream job: A successful writer
Managing Editor Hometown: Hawley, Minnesota Dream job: Help produce The New York Times’ The Daily podcast
As an aspiring storyteller, I have a passion for sitting down and listening to stories or reading them. I love the idea of being able to give people a spotlight that they wouldn’t normally have. I want to give a voice to the voiceless. I think that my story is being able to tell other peoples’ stories that need to be told. Besides writing for UNLimited Sports, I’ve written news articles for the Southeast Community College’s Daily Challenge, which is their newspaper. I’ve also written media releases for the Nebraska Sports Council.
I’m a Midwestern kid who loves to learn and meet new people. In high school, I liked everything from physics and chemistry to history and writing, and I still do. I had no idea what I wanted to study at college or what I wanted to do for a career. My parents suggested journalism, and I fell in love. Ideally, I want to find a job where I can tell stories that make this world a better place.
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MEET MEET THE THE TEAM TEAM
AARON HOUSENGA
Photographer Hometown: Geneva, Illinois Dream job: Director or producer at a sports network
Photographer Hometown: Ashland, Nebraska Dream job: Sports team photographer
I started to get the love for broadcast production in 8th grade and early of my freshman year. My brother got me interested in it when he encouraged me to join the high school’s broadcasting/film club. I gave it a shot and it was one of the best decisions I made. I was lucky to make it to national competitions for broadcasting and finished third in the nation. At UNL, I wanted to be in front of the camera but in the summer after my freshman year I started to draw more toward the broadcast production side and have loved it since. That switch has led me to get internships at HuskerVision, Hudl and minor league baseball teams around the country.
I grew up playing all kinds of sports and became a Dallas Cowboys fan at a young age thanks to my dad. I’ve spent a lot of time watching and playing sports, which is what led me to be so passionate about sports photography. I love that I am able to tell a story through a camera lens and I’m always trying to find ways to be creative and innovative with my work. I’ve learned a lot from my photo internships with Huskers Athletics and the NFL, and I am excited to continue expanding on this passion of mine.
Photographer Hometown: Chicago, Illinois Dream job: Print writer or photographer for MLB
Photographer Hometown: Alliance, Nebraska Dream job: Team photographer for the Washington Nationals
I am unique because I am a go-getter. Every photo opportunity presented to me, I grab my gear and head out. Photography has been a passion for me. I am also unique because I find the camera angles that haven’t been thought of. Action shots are my specialty for that. I picked it up from my grandparents who bought me my first camera when I was 12.
Coming into college, I wanted to be a reporter until I got a job as a photographer for the school newspaper. After that, my love for sports photography grew. I work for Huskers Athletics, and I honestly can say that nothing brings me more joy than being on the field or the court and covering the game and the emotions attached. I like to read, paint and be with friends and family. I am an avid shopper and a plant mom trying not to kill all of my plants. I like to think I am a huge people person and despite that, I love being silent behind a camera capturing life and more specifically sports. Veni, vedi, cepi: I came, I saw, I captured.
JAMES ROWLAND
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MADDIE WASHbURN
PEYTON STOIKE Photographer Hometown: Seward, Nebraska Dream job: Traveling photographer
Photographer Hometown: North Platte, Nebraska Dream job: Creative director for the Seattle Seahawks
I am originally from Seward but have gone to school in Lincoln since I was in third grade. During my time spent outside of the classroom, you can find me working at our campus rec center, taking photos or working out and staying active. I am currently a student photographer for Nebraska Athletics and am usually at all things Huskers! Additionally, I love volunteering and I am often involved in some sort of Young Life event or serving at a camp.
I am a talented writer and have spent my whole life developing that skill, but recently I have abandoned that and latched onto graphic design and social media. I consider myself a Swiss Army knife in the creative field and am able to do just about anything at a high level. I enjoy watching everything from football to lacrosse and avoid talking about politics at all costs. Catch me in my free time redesigning my website and tweeting about the Seattle Mariners.
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FEATURE STORY NAME
Sports Director for KLTV in Tyler, Texas
What We said MIKE COLEMAN
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Ryan Dean: Mr. Coleman was such an engaging and detailed speaker that it made it so easy to picture the stories
he was telling and gather these first-person narratives. His descriptions of the trials and tribulations that he experienced were inspiring and calculated. Coleman wasn’t afraid to hold back, wasn’t going to be censored and made sure that his message was heard.
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Peyton Stoike: Mr. Coleman had a lot of interesting things to say. The one thing that I wrote down was that owners and coaches “do not have to agree, but they have to be open minded.” As the media, we also have to be open minded, we have to put aside our differences and report what is relevant and right now that is the social injustice issues.
Brent Bartels: His insight into what minorities have to deal with on a consistent basis shocked me. Listening to
Coleman made me question how we are holding others accountable and what we can do to be better for those that need a place to use their voice. It was a powerful hour that made me think a lot about myself and what others have to deal with every day.
Lincoln Shafer: Coleman was insightful on how to cover sports, how to work in references to things that are personally important to the reporter in a moral and historical sense. I really enjoyed how Coleman thinks about his job, as both a reporter and a historian, which is something that I hope to take with me into my professional career.
Katie Squier: I loved hearing Mike talk. I think as a white woman, I have a hard time really putting myself in the
Luke Mullin: My takeaway from Mike was that it’s important sometimes to just sit and listen, and that is a lesson
Garrett Freund: A couple of things that stood out to me while listening to Mr. Coleman speak was how positive
he still seemed even while we are still dealing with the racial equality issues that have plagued our country for hundreds of years. Mr. Coleman gave great insight as to what it was like to come up in a predominantly white community and challenges he endured along the way.
Francis Forte: Mike Coleman’s level-headedness when speaking of the racial divide in our country was inspiring. Listening to his thoughts on the issues in our country and how the sports world is handling them was very enjoyable because he was very calm and informed. The tips and encouragement he gave us during his talk was helpful, as these issues can seem very difficult to tackle with all of the noise around us.
Tyler Fangman: My biggest takeaway from Mr. Coleman was that athletes are people, too. I think too many times people only see athletes as people they cheer for on the field or on the court. I think people are too stuck in their own way on both sides without even listening to what the other side has to say. It’s our job as sports journalists to tell not only the story of the athlete on the field but the story of the athlete off the field as well.
Matthew Chambers: What struck me the most was his story of his own experience with police brutality, when he was struck with a baton and when his friend pleaded with him to stop mouthing off to the officer. It really hits home that the injustices that we are facing today are really no different than what the issues used to be -- they have just evolved and been seen more clearly through the media.
Lydia Asplin: Our time with Mike Coleman was time very well spent. I admire how articulate, engaging and educated he was on such a wide variety of topics. His insight and experience with social injustice was well beyond our years and an important aspect of continuing to learn, grow, and better ourselves. It breaks my heart to hear stories of inequality and discrimination simply based on the color of one’s skin. It’s a privilege to learn about racism, instead of experience it first hand.
Dustyn Stortzum: He made some great points about how owners need to be more transparent and take a stand or at least just listen to what the players have to say. The majority of owners are white and that would be huge for them to take a stand with the Black Lives Matter movement. When Black athletes wear their uniforms, everyone seems to like them and want to shake their hand, but once it’s taken off, people want to go after them because they might not recognize them without their jerseys. That’s something I’ve never thought about before.
Jack Driggers: What I learned from Mr. Coleman’s talk was how upset hearing stories like his make me. A police officer should never have the right to attack you for talking back, especially in our country where freedom of speech is something we take pride in. Mr. Coleman also helped me realize that as a journalist it is our job to tell stories like his and many others in this country, because at the end of the day we are storytellers.
Bryce Zimmerman: One thing that stood out to me was when he talked about how things would be different today if Jackie Robinson never stood up for what he believed in and broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier. So, for those people today who say politics have no place in sports and should be kept separate, the two have always been woven together to create positive change in society and will continue to do so in the future.
Chelsey Jones: There were many many things that he said that I would love to take away. His demeanor and his
Tanner Smejdir: What I took away most from his talk is that it is OK to have different thoughts on certain things.
Cody Frederick: One of the things I took away was when he asked, “What do you want?” I think that is a question I
William Stone: I really appreciated Mike’s story about the time he was stopped by police while driving a company
shoes of a black man. During this whole BLM movement I have been trying to watch and read more things to help me understand my privilege and the things that POC go through. I think something that really stuck out to me during our conversation on Friday was “We don’t need everybody. We just need a lot of bodies.”
knowledge is something I aspire to have. The way that he presents his thoughts so smoothly and articulately. I loved listening to him, and I want to be able to pick his brain on a lot of different topics. His advice helped calm me down from the rage I was having from these recent incidents.
find myself asking the professional athletes and leagues. Yes, having all of the symbols on the court and sayings on the jerseys is great, but what do you think the athletes truly want? I hope more athletes when they boycott or protest are able to come up with specific things they want done so their actions amount to real change.
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we can take forward as journalists. We have immense responsibility to the public that we serve as a check on elected leaders, especially so abuses and issues in society can be fixed. When there are injustices in society, the media needs to be there telling the stories that deserve to be heard.
Just because we have different opinions does not mean we should hate each other. The thing that I liked most though was when he was at the gas station and didn’t accept that disgust of a man’s apology. That was amazing for me to hear about.
car, having them think he stole it, and what ensued. It was one of those things that makes everything that is going on in the world a little more real. He’s genuine with a really good standing in the world being mistreated by police. It really puts the problems into focus.
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Play-By-PlaY Broadcaster for Kansas City Royals
Nebraska Football Staff Writer, The Athletic
Feature Producer, Big Ten Network ORiginals
What We said Steve Physioc MitcH Sherman & Garrett wRight
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Bryce Zimmerman: I grew up listening to him broadcast Royals games on FOX Sports Kansas City, so I loved listening to him speak today. The main piece of advice Steve gave that stood out to me was to say yes to every opportunity that is given to you.
Chelsey Jones: His advice on being a yes man
challenges me in many aspects of my life because I struggle with trusting others and I got here because I used to be a yes woman. But there were many takeaways from the talk, thank you.
Taylor Riemersma: It was a lot of fun listening to Steve
as I’ve listened to him on the radio for numerous years. The one piece of advice he said that really stuck out to me was that to be successful in this career he said you had to be on time, be prepared, be enthusiastic and be easy to work with. This advice applies not just to sports jobs but to every job out there.
Matthew Chambers: I have grown up watching him call
Royals games, so it was truly an honor to talk to him in person. It’s important that in my senior year I have to try and latch on with other options for internships/ job opportunities since this is such a competitive field. It’s important to evolve and roll with the punches if you want to make it, which I think Steve really hit home.
Brandon Idelman: It was cool to hear how he can balance the end of the baseball season every day with baseball and then football on the weekends. I also enjoyed his voice on social justice and sports. He knows what he is talking about and is very educated on the issues. He is not afraid of those awkward conversations. Peyton Stoike: Right now in the media industry, there
is no set job and there is no set ideal person for the job. He mentioned that right now is an ideal time for new jobs in the industry and it’s a growing time where there are more women joining and doing great things in the field.
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Lydia Asplin: Steve was probably one of the most memorable guest speakers I’ve heard. When talking on the topic of social injustice, he named off quite a number of historical events and examples right off the top of his head. His dad’s advice and perspective on starting out in a smaller market could be thought of as like getting your master’s. I thought that was a really striking way of looking at “entry level” jobs and how it’s an investment in what will hopefully be down the line. Jaxon Hallmark: The biggest thing I learned was that
you are going to get hired when you don’t think you are and fired when you don’t think you will. This really stuck with me because I have no idea what I will be doing after college, but it’s comforting to know that I could get an opportunity as long as I say yes.
Katie Squier: One thing that I took away and want to be really intentional about in my own career is not being afraid to fail and be rejected. I think I have been really fortunate to have not experienced much rejection yet. I also really liked when he talked about the women that he has worked with. Brent Bartels: I enjoyed listening to Steve. I want to
be a baseball play-by-play announcer so listening to him and taking his advice was perfect. I wish we could have talked longer but I was happy he could share his insight on the things he learned from job to job and always saying yes.
Nicholas Schreiter: I found it inspirational when he
said to keep trying and to expect some failure and rejection, but to keep pushing on and you’ll get through somewhere.
Ryan Dean: It was incredible to hear him talk about his
trials and tribulations coming up though the world of media. One of the more interesting parts of Steve’s talk I now totally agree with is starting in a small market where you can work on as much as you can handle. I never thought about it like that but looking back and hearing what he had to say, it makes so much sense.
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Lydia Asplin: It was great to hear from two different professionals within the field such as Mitch and Garrett. I thought it was an interesting correlation: The larger the business, the less involved and more specialized you become versus the smaller the business, the more involved and well-rounded you can be. It totally makes sense; I just had never really put much thought to it. Katie Squier: I love getting to listen to CoJMC alumni
and listen to the experiences that they have gotten to have after college. I also thought it was interesting how Mitch talked about how this profession is not built for introverts. You have to really take advantage of every moment on a job and just talk to people whenever you have the chance, even if just a quick conversation in the elevator or during half-time.
Brendon Caskey: You should never settle or think of
yourself married to a certain job. As we grow through life, our interests and outlooks can change, meaning if you want a change, go out and make it. Another key takeaway I gathered is to always say yes in terms of performing tasks at the beginning of your career. Even if you don’t want to do it, say yes and go above and beyond if possible -- the connections you make go a long way.
Brent Bartels: There are hundreds of small locally
owned media companies and if you are the main person at one of these little companies, you are doing everything. I think if I want to continue down this path of graphics, producing, directing, social media content, I don’t need to go to these big networks and I’ll get more from staying small.
Tyler Fangman: It was terrific to hear from two different people in the sports industry I hold in high regard. I believe many people, including me, probably think that ESPN is the pinnacle, but the peak of a sports industry job is what you make it. William Stone: I really appreciated the insights from Mitch and Garrett. I also appreciate the sentiment of smaller jobs being just as good if there’s a good fit there. It’s not about the money or the brand of your employer
that makes your life good. If you go where you’re wanted, where you can thrive, it’s just as good as anywhere else. Jaxon Hallmark: The part that I found most helpful was when Mitch Sherman was talking about writing about Garrett Nelson his freshman year, and how he travelled to his hometown and visited his home and gym. That’s how you can tell a good story: The more you can learn about a person, the more inside their story you can get and it’s going to be heavily reflected in the final product. Tanner Smejdir: The main thing I took away from this interview is to be OK with switching things up for a while. At the beginning of this career, never get too comfortable with where you are because things could change in a hurry. Ethan Whitmire: I really enjoyed the talk we had with Mitch Sherman and Garrett Wright. I thought they gave a lot of good advice about the business, how to conduct good interviews and anecdotes from their own personal experiences. The big companies may be the appealing choice to work for, but both of them seemed to have zero regrets about getting out of there and working with their current companies. Although it would be awesome to sit between Lou Holtz and A-Rod, or run into Sage Steele in the lunch line. Ryan Dean: It was very interesting to kind of focus on the contrasting story that Garrett about his journey and how it differed from Mitch, but it wasn’t different in a bad way. I feel like that is something special and kind of specific to the journalism industry is the appreciation for others’ journey and how they got to where they are today. Jack Driggers: What I learned from Mitch and Garrett is to follow your own path. It was great hearing both of them talk about their stints at ESPN and the takeaways they had from working there. I liked that they let us as listeners form our own opinions on what they were talking about. UNLimited_10.20
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Lincoln A Challenge to the System: A Fight for Social Justice Words: Jack Driggers and Garrett Freund Visuals: Will Stone
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tudent athletes standing in the wind wearing matching black adidas shirts with gleaming yellow-gold letters reading Black Lives Matter gathered on a recent September Tuesday in front of Gate 20 of Memorial S t a d i u m. T h ey h a d n ot gathered for an athletic event but to start a conversation about race in the Athletic Department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. It was all part of the greater race and social injustice c onver s ati on ha p p enin g across the country reignited after the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black Americans. Black adults are about five times as likely as whites to say they’ve been unfairly stopped by police
WIll Stone Photos
“You must care for and protect your student athletes as much as you do your own image. We are the face of Nebraska athletics.”
because of their race or ethnicity, according to Pew research, and have 2.8 times the rate of death compared with whites in National Institutes of Health data.
by these five pillars, integrity, trust, respect, teamwork, and loyalty,” she said. “Until we stand with and support all of our student athletes, staff, coaches and fans.”
Athletes across the country are speaking out to promote change and equality for people of color, including in Lincoln, Nebraska where members of UNL’s Minority Student-Athlete Collective are us in g their plat form a s they have seen trickle down from the professional ranks.
“You must care for and protect your student athletes as much as you do your own image. We are the face of Nebraska athletics,” she said.
At the rally, For Emily Cheramie, a senior on the rifle team, said the Athletic Department is not upholding its mission and pillars.
- Em ily Ch e rami e WIll Stone Photo
“ The mis sion of our Athletic Department is to serve us, the student athletes, our coaches and staff, and you our most loyal fans,
Following the rally, Nebraska Athletic Director Bill Moos provided a statement to UNLimited Sports: “We have had the opportunity to meet with members of the Minority Student-Athlete Collective throughout the summer and have had productive meetings, with very open and honest dialogue. From my perspective, last week’s rally was well done and ver y power ful with several student athletes sharing personal stories
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with their peers. At the University of Nebraska, we are committed to providing every member of our family with a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment and we will continue to strive to build a greater community based on diversity, equality, inclusion and respect. We recognize that there are areas in our Athletic Department where we must continue to evolve.” *** On stage at the rally, men’s track and field athlete Sadio Fenner shared his perspective through poetry: “Why can’t I be judged by the principles of my character, the contents of my soul and not the color of my skin?” Fenner said. “You can’t judge me, the artist, my own masterpiece, drawn up on an ebony canvas, detailed of blood, sweat, tears, the years of paint, mixing, mixing paint to mix the paint, to paint the history of what came before and everything else that came after.”
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Women’s Basketball Coach Amy Williams also took the stage to share her experience about growing up Spear fish, South Dakota where she was not exposed to much diversity in her community.
population to be eliminated within five years, and within three years, to shrink by 50%. Another ask is for a statue to be dedicated to George Flippin, the first Black football player to compete at Nebraska.
“ H owever, when I bec ame a member of the women’s basketball team here at the University of Nebraska, I was gifted with an oppor tunit y to play with and ultimately become lifelong friends and teammates. With teammates from all different backgrounds, races, lifestyles, cultures as we fought together side by side working towards common goals I gained something that had been missing in my life when it came to race. I gained perspective.”
“Personally, I would just like to see the Athletic Department be a bit less afraid of pushback and backlash from the fans and the community and whoever,” said men’s gymnast Samuel Phillips. “I feel like their hesitation to go all out and support us is what is holding them back. It’s making us more angry with them.”
MSAC called for change within the Athletic Department following its list of demands released in August, which includes more people of color serving as senior administrators, head coaches and psychologists within Nebraska Athletics. The group requested that the gap between the minority staff and minority student-athlete
“I know I have presented the idea to my teammates, about having a meet dedicated to the Black Lives Matter movement. And having some of our proceeds, even though we are a nonprofit we would have to figure out the logistics of that, but somehow supporting the Black Lives Matter foundation, selling shirts or something and having a
Phillips said he is planning more physical protests like taking a knee in the future.
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meet dedicated to it. And they all seem to be on board, so in a matter of time we’ll have more of an idea or what we’re doing.” Women’s gymnast Megan Verceles-Carr said there won’t be a real impact without “big sports.” “Right now, we’re just not sure if that is what we’re able to get -- that statement that we need to be made and expressed largely to create change that we are after,” she said. Michael Knowles of the men’s track team said it’s sad when his teammates stay quiet. “I know everybody has a teammate on their team that’s like really into Black culture, but when it is time to speak up, they never say anything. (But) you listen to rap music; you say this and do this, but when it’s time and it really matters, you fold. And you don’t really show that you care about me.” For Taylor Johnson of the women’s track team, students on campus are doing their part to support the minority student athletes, but the fans still have a ways to go. “(We) want to see the fans show support for them as people, too,” she said. Daniel Pearson, a senior golfer and president of the NCAA StudentAthlete Advisory Committee, said his group is actively involved in trying to find ways to speak up and show support even though the administration has yet to release a public statement. “We have to make sure that we are getting our message across and if they aren’t going to help us, who is? (And) we are doing it with administration but they aren’t necessarily supporting us, they are still kind of holding us back with
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the things we say, the things were allowed to do and the things were allowed to post and stuff.” O v e r t h e s u m m e r, Pe a r s o n attended Black Lives Matter rallies in Denver and was inspired to keep pushing for change. “I think in a leadership position it’s really important to listen and hear the people that you represent,” he said. “And also have as much empathy and stand with and support what they need.” Associate journalism professor Trina Creighton, a prominent voice on race and social justice who teaches the 250-student Social Justice and Human Rights class, said she does not shy away from showing students examples of racial injustices. “I get sad when I have to show this to my students, but they have to see that. They have to see that in order to learn something needs to be done.” Creighton said she tries to expose her students to things they didn’t get in high school. “ I b e l i eve i f t h e history books had been honest about what happened, I don’t think we would be in the state we are in today. Had it been honest about Blacks’ contributions and Latinos’ contributions to America, we wouldn’t be where we are today. That’s one thing that has changed for me, I am never going to pretend like things are OK if they are
not. When I see something now, I say something.” For the young student athletes realizing their power, Creighton said she is proud. “I have noticed that what the professionals are doing is translating in a very positive way,” she said. A t p r e s s t i m e, t h r e e m e d i a organizations, The Daily Nebraskan, KLKN and KOLN, covered the student athlete rally. Knowles said the media is quick to report about athletes when they are on the field, court or track but not otherwise. “The reason it’s not getting that much publicity is because people don’t really care about the things we’re asking for and trying to establish for all student athletes and people participating in sports,” Knowles said. “So, the media doesn’t cover that. They don’t want to talk about that.”
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Is Nebraska becoming a hockey state? Words: Francis Forte The cool, crisp air is the first thing anyone feels walking into an ice rink. Sounds of skates crunching through the ice and echoing through the building can be heard over the cheering fans. Players crash into one another at 20 mph, slamming ad nauseam against the plexiglass boards . It’s what brings fans through the doors. Cristiano Simonetta, director of Director of Broadcasting and Hockey Relations Cristiano Simonetta Lincoln Stars Hockey Maddie Washburn Photo
located in Kearney, call The Cornhusker State -- and its diehard fan bases -home. While the NHL has not expanded into Nebraska or seven other states in the Great Plains, the state’s three United States Hockey League teams -- the only Tier I junior hockey league in the United States -- are among 14 teams scattered across the upper Midwest with no teams in Kansas or Missouri.
broadcasting and hockey relations for the
Before moving to Lincoln, Simonetta
Lincoln Stars Hockey, said the physicality
covered the Chicago Blackhawks and the
and drive of hockey players is something
2018-19 Stanley Cup champions, the St.
fans in The Cornhusker State can connect
Louis Blues, two of the richest hockey
with.
markets in the United States. Once he
“It’s a really blue collar sport,” he said. “And I think that’s what brings in this
arrived in Nebraska, the robust hockey culture surprised him.
community. There are a lot of hard
“It’s remarkable,” Simonetta said.
workers in the state, and they see the
“When I first came here, I wasn’t sure
hard work on the ice.”
of the organization. Someone that I
In Nebraska, the Lincoln Stars, Omaha
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Lancers and Kearney’s Tri-City Storm,
grew up with, Biagio Lerario, was a UNLimited_10.20
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The Viaero Center, Kearney, Nebraska Home of Tri-City Storm Aaron Housenga photo
captain here with the Stars. He told me that Lincoln is an incredible hockey community. That’s all I had ever heard of Nebraska: It was this underground, untapped hockey market.” Simonetta credits the fans of Nebraska’s local programs for building communities around the sport. He understands why the teams in the state have been so successful. “When you come to a game at the Ice Box, you just feel the energy,” Simonetta said of the Star’s arena and in-game experience. “It is palpable. You can’t describe it. Once the national anthem starts and the fans start slapping the boards and doing their traditions they’ve had over the last 25 years, it’s no secret as to why they’ve built up this community.”
K
earney resident Randie May has missed less than 10 TriCity Storm home games in two decades since the team’s inaugural season started in November 2000. Now, May is Aaron Housenga photo
the keeper of many team artifacts, such as the
“The family part is what endears (Hockey) to the Midwest, and I think that’s why the game has grown here.” Ra nd i e M ay 38 UNLimited_10.20
unofficial original Nebraska Cup, which holds the scores and winners of each game between the Storm
May said he and many Midwesterners identify with the
Chicago Blackhawks for some of hockey’s Midwest surge
and biggest rival, the Lincoln Stars.
sport’s core values.
-- the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015.
After the team released season tickets to fans, May’s friend suggested he
“The Midwestern culture and hockey culture are millimeters
invest. Then, just a few moments after the puck dropped for the first time
apart from each other,” May said. “The commitment to
“Once the Chicago Blackhawks became a dynasty, people
in Kearney, May said he was hooked.
sport, commitment to working hard, commitment to your
in the Midwest and places like Nebraska and Iowa jumped
craft, the integrity and the family atmosphere. The family
on that bandwagon,” Hofstra said. “That fueled their
part is what endears itself to the Midwest, and I think that’s
passion for the sport. When you go to games here, you
why the game has grown here.”
see Blackhawks jerseys. While they may not be able to go
But he had already had his tickets for the next two nights sold to other people. “About four minutes into the first period, I was calling people, letting them know that they didn’t have tickets anymore,” he said.
Brandon Hofstra, Omaha Lancers’ director of media relations and broadcaster, credits the championship
to Chicago for a game, they have top-notch talent in their backyard.”
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The growth of Nebraska’s USHL game at the junior hockey level naturally caused an increase in youth hockey participation. “We at Tri-City have these relationships with the Lancers and Stars and their youth associations,” said Matt Nickerson, hockey director and vice president of the Tri-City Youth Ice Hockey Association in Kearney. “Those relationships have helped us form the Cornhusker Youth Hockey League.” Nickerson also talked about how the presence of the Storm in Kearney has caused a boom in interest across all ages and skill levels. “Youth and adult hockey didn’t exist here before the Storm,” Nickerson said. “Now we have our youth association and a couple of adult leagues. Without the Storm, a lot of this wouldn’t be possible.” Simonetta said he believes Nebraska’s hockey community is not going away.
Runners compete in the 10k Harvest Moon Hustle on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020
“This community is sports-ridden,” he
in Elmwood, Neb.
said. “They love their football, but hockey
Lydia Asplin Photo
is surprisingly close behind it. The community here will never say die, and neither will the team on the ice.”
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Words: Bryce Zimmerman and Jake Bartecki Visuals: Peyton Stoike
Home Grown: NASCAR Experts Examine Importance of Growing a Motorsport
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hot summer night in Nebraska. The roar of the engines and smell of burnt rubber resonate in the air. While the on-going COVID-19 pandemic hit professional sports tracks hard, Eagle Raceway in Eagle, Nebraska, was able to get back to racing. “Fans back at our track have been great. It’s just been great to see fans wanting to see racing,” Roger Hadan, owner of Eagle Raceway, said. “Because of the pandemic, we lost about seven or eight weeks of our season.” Labor Day weekend, thousands of race fans from across The Cornhusker State and greater Midwest packed the Eagle Raceway grandstands on an utterly gorgeous Sunday evening to kick back and take-in one of the first opportunities to get out of the house to watch some racing. Local race tracks like Eagle Raceway in Eagle, Nebraska, population 1,086, can attract over 140,000 fans every sixmonth season. And that’s in a state where there’s not even a NASCARsanctioned racetrack. However, there’s a combination of roughly 20 dirt, clay and asphalt tracks scattered across the state. At the same time fans are beginning to seek out more
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tracks where the locals could battle the Xfinity stars and, if they were successful, potentially get full-time rides,” Pockrass said.
in-person experiences, TV ratings for NASCAR, one of America’s oldest pastimes, are experiencing a decline. Nationwide, the audience viewing the NASCAR Cup Series championship race has dropped by 51% since 2015, and multiple outlets report a decline in NASCAR TV ratings and recordlow broadcasts dating back to the early 2000s. When reached via email, Matt Humphrey, NASCAR’s director of communications, would not comment on these declines. Despite these declines, experts say local tracks play a vital role in growing the sport and gaining new fans, especially in states without a NASCAR-sanctioned track like Nebraska. Television ratings could be declining for multiple reasons: retiring superstars, the changing face of drivers, a lack of NASCAR presence at local tracks -- while NASCAR experts strategize how new viewers can be attracted to the sport. One reason for NASCAR’s decline in ratings is that people are busier than ever, said Jeff Burton, former driver and current NASCAR on NBC analyst, and consumers have an unprecedented number of available entertainment options. “Sports and entertainment are under increased pressure,” he said. “There are so many choices for viewers to pick from and that has made it difficult for all venues.” Tommy Etherton, a Denton, Nebraska native and former I-80 Speedway Rookie of the Year, said the decline in viewership has to do with the current era. “With Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently hanging it up, those were the last true members of the ‘good ol’ boys’ era of NASCAR,” Etherton said, adding that NASCAR excelled with local drivers earning their way up the ranks to rise up through NASCAR’s national series. “Today, kids have to be pumped up with millions of dollars before the age of 10 to even get the opportunity to be on that stage,” he said. “NASCAR needs to get back to its blue collar roots.” This era coincides with the retirements of four legendary drivers: Jeff Gordon (2016), Tony Stewart
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Now, drivers don’t spend much time racing locally, Pockrass added. “So no one says, ‘I used to watch that guy race every week,’ when they watch racing today -- much like they would watch their local high school hero or college hero in the pros in other sports.”
(2 016) and Dale Ea r n ha r d t J r. (2 017 ) - - w i d e l y considered to be the last from NASCAR’s peak fandom from 1990s to the early 2000s. Following the conclusion of the 2020 season, seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson also plans to retire from fulltime racing. Another reason for the ratings decline could be the lack of NASCAR presence at local tracks like Eagle Raceway. Bob Pockrass, a FOX Sports reporter, remembers when drivers used to race at their local tracks for at least a few years before moving to the NASCAR national series and brought their fan bases with them. “The NASCAR Xfinity Series used to go to several short
Others, like Darian Gilliam, owner of the popular NASCAR YouTube channel, “Black Flags Matter”, blame the drop in ratings on the censoring of personalities by corporate sponsors and “NASCAR wanting to market itself as a family-friendly sport.” “In reality, NASCAR is sort of far from being a familyfriendly sport,” Gilliam said. “Let the drivers say what’s on their minds rather than pleasing corporate America.” Dale Earnhardt Jr., recent NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, questioned if fewer people truly aren’t watching NASCAR. “All sports have experienced a drop as fans find other avenues like streaming to consume the content,” Earnhardt Jr. said via direct message. “So, have the numbers declined? Or are people experiencing the events in unique ways that are currently difficult to measure.” Lenny Batycki of Performance Racing Network said the rise of other viewing platforms has opened up options for all television viewers. “Consumers are still watching NASCAR, they just don’t do so now from a single source,” Batycki said. Perhaps the biggest reason for NASCAR’s decline is the decline in TV viewership as a whole, according to Nielsen, with American cable TV subscriptions dropping 3.8 million from 2018 to 2019. However, those ratings don’t account for people viewing events via social media and other streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV, Amazon and Twitter. In a constantly changing world of sports and entertainment, NASCAR analysts like Burton try attracting more fans to the sport by making it easier for the average consumer to understand and relate to racing. “The path forward not only has to be focused on the most competitive racing possible but to also find ways to introduce our athletes and the sport in general to new viewers,” he said. “Almost everyone UNLimited_10.20
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can pick up a ball and find a court or a field, but very few understand what it’s like to drive a car competitively. Once it’s understood the amount of skill that’s required, there is a new respect that is given to the sport.” But it’s not always easy to show fans why what a driver does is incredible. “Hitting the same mark on the track lap after lap at 190 mph is an incredible feat,” said Rick Allen, current NASCAR play-by-play analyst and University of Nebraska-Lincoln alumnus. “The heart rate of drivers for over three hours straight is over 150 beats per minute and sometimes pushes 180 beats per minute. No other athletes see this kind of duration.” To reach new fans, Earnhardt Jr. suggested the sport’s young crop of talented drivers task themselves to engage on social media -- something veteran drivers aren’t tapping in or relating to. He also mentioned a continued focus on providing content to viewers in multiple formats. “We can continue our focus on the network broadcasts while also enriching the other outlets where viewing the race is available like online streaming to phones and tablets,” Earnhardt Jr. said. The potential to grow NASCAR viewership in Nebraska could extend to Eagle Raceway if the importance of local racers grows. Pockrass said NASCAR needs to get its top teams involved in driver development and suggested creating an easier path from local tracks to nationals with an incentive program to put local track champions — and diverse drivers — in cars. Local tracks often introduce young people to motorsports, according to Batycki, and allow drivers to build a core base of fans, acting as “incubators” for developing lifelong racing fans. “The surest path to develop a NASCAR fan is to have them experience, at a young age, racing at their nearby track.” he said. “Once the thrill and excitement of racing gets in their young minds, it keeps them interested for life.” Hailie Deegan, 19, a current ARCA Menards Series driver and one of the only females in professional competition, has built an Instagram following of over 1 million, bringing her fanbase from junior kart racing before her transition to asphalt. “(Local tracks are) where you build that fanbase of people who buy your merchandise, and support you and your social media,” she said in a recent Zoom call with members of the NASCAR media. “Those people come along with you and they start ending
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up at the big series races. I think if every driver can bring their fanbase from a local track to the NASCAR world, it’s just going to keep building the sport.” Local tracks are where, Deegan said, young drivers gain their core fan base and start following their new
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favorite driver throughout the ranks of their career. This year marked a rise in social activism and conversations around police brutality after the death of George Floyd, a Minneapolis, Minnesota, man, killed by a Minneapolis police officer in May. Among others,
Floyd’s death sparked an increased level of activism across sport, including NASCAR and at the forefront Bubba Wallace, the Cup Series’ only Black driver. Jesse Iwuji, a current Gander & RV Truck Series driver, said Wallace used his platform to bring positive change to the sport.
“I am also doing the same myself,” Iwuji said. “I have been promoting unity among all people because divided we fall, but united we all rise. I would say the next step would be when more fans are allowed to come to races, build an outreach program that gives 100 free tickets to inner city minorities to give them a chance to come to the races.”
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the Supreme Court in May 2018 decided to strike down a 1992 federal law on sports gambling, many states rushed to legalize gambling on sports. Sixteen states legalized sports gambling. One is right across the river from Nebraska: Iowa. This year, the experience at Horsemen’s Park, one of the only places in Nebraska currently allowing gambling on a live event, looks slightly different from usual because of the pandemic. “So, every time you go up to make a bet, you have to have your mask on. The only time you can have your mask off is when you’re seated at your table or your seat,” Newlin said. “It’s going to be very difficult to police because people are going up and making bets every five minutes and a lot of times they forget but our customers have been pretty cooperative so far.” Although Horsemen’s Park had to tweak its usual race day festivities, people still spent the day betting on horses, either by going to the betting window and then leaving, staying at the park and tailgating -- socially distant, of course -- or by paying $20 to park in the infield of the track where the horses would normally be galloping for seven days of live racing over three weekends last May.
Expanding sports betting in Nebraska could take years with the 2020 ballot measure; horse racing only betting gamble in town Words: Tyler Fangman Visuals: Garrett Freund
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t was a sticky, hot Saturday afternoon Labor Day weekend. Usually, Horsemen’s Park in Omaha, Nebraska, would not be this crowded for a September Saturday. But due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, many sporting events had to be shuffled around -- some were canceled and some were postponed. The Kentucky Derby was no different. It was slated to run late that evening. Even with no fans at Churchill Downs, the home to America’s most famous horse race, Omahans placed a bet at the only venue in town. “I’ve been in the business about 35 years and this is different than anything I’ve ever seen. This entire year has been different than anything I’ve ever seen,” said Mike Newlin, Chief Executive Officer of Omaha Exposition and Racing, which manages the Horseman’s Park and Lincoln Racecourse properties. The world of sports betting is no longer taboo after
Inside Horsemen’s Park, people got in and out of their seats, masking up, to bet the ponies. The anticipation mounts and the energy inside the park grows as people wash down their beers and finish their nachos, closely observing the races where they have placed their money. The horses are loaded into the stalls, and at Horsemen’s Park, it feels as though the coronavirus had disappeared. Observers can hear a pin drop, and then, the stalls open. The bell rings, and the announcer shouts, “And they’re off.” The race fans start to hoot and holler for their horse to get the inside lane. They plead for a first-place finish. Some fans scream as the horse named Authentic overcomes the favorite Tiz the Law with plus-800 odds. *** Voters in Nebraska obtained over nearly half a million signatures and later the state’s Supreme Court approved a casino gambling ballot measure for The Cornhusker State in the upcoming election. After all, Nebraskan’s already spend a fair UNLimited_10.20
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amount of money gambling across the river. “Nebraskans wager about $330 million a year in Iowa every year,” said Newlin. “So, there’s a lot of money interest from outside states to make sure that we don’t get it.” But not all Nebraskans are in favor, and some think the potential to get into legal trouble is too risky. “I think it’s kind of a travesty when those same parties are trying to not let us on the ballot after we obtained a record 477,000 signatures to get this on the ballot,” Newlin said. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts has strongly opposed gambling in the past, saying addiction and poverty that comes with gambling would not be worth the risk. Nick Handley, an Omaha ESPN Radio host, said he’s perplexed by Ricketts’ thought process regarding sports gambling. “I would love to sit down and say, ‘OK, your family, with its involvement with the Chicago Cubs, are doing what every other sports franchise is now doing when you used to resist it,’” Handley said. “’Now, you’re embracing it because you see the revenue stream. Why can’t that be at a larger scale in the state that you represent and see the big revenue stream that it can create?” Handley is not the only one confused. Mike’ l Severe, another Omaha sports-talk radio host, said the other states that have legalized gambling have not seen negative effects. “Show me where the Iowa West Foundation hasn’t done a lot of great things for Council Bluffs in the state of Iowa and the education systems in Iowa,” he said. Severe has also been across the river himself to bet on sports along with thousands of Nebraskans who do it all the time. “We have tax money with money going from Nebraska over to Iowa,” Severe said. “Every single day, sometimes multiple times a day. I know I’ve done it, I’ve gone there given my money as well.”
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To some, including Severe, it almost seems like a political tactic instead of letting the people of Nebraska choose if they want gambling in the state or not. “It really seems to be a political thing where they’re thinking more what side of the aisle they’re on,” he said. “More than the people in Nebraska and giving people in Nebraska a chance to vote whether or not they want legalized gaming, that should be the way to do it.” Despite Ricketts and Secretary of State Bob Evnen’s best efforts to block gambling from getting on the ballot, Nebraska’s Supreme Court ruled to include a gambling expansion on the ballot this fall, but this does not include sports gambling. Nebraska natives will have to wait a little while longer until they can bet on their Huskers. *** Some still see the pitfalls and downsides to sports gambling from once being addicted to the rush of betting large sums of money on games. Josh Kutilek, a former sports gambler, said he had kind of a “rough road” when he was betting. “It took me a couple years to figure out,” he said. “I had to reevaluate where I was because it got too out of hand.” For people like Kutilek, gambling was like a drug addiction. “For me, I got such a high from it,” Kutilek said. “Down the road really it didn’t benefit me just because of how easy it is, you know, to throw up $100, $200 on a game, you know, max out in the account, go and you get another one.” Although Kutilek has had his past struggles, he does not discourage people from sports gambling. “You know, as long as it’s controlled,” he said. “I think it’s a great thing and it’s fun.”
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From Papillion to the Pros:
The Aaron Palensky Story Words: Jaxon Hallmark Visuals: James Rowland
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aron Palensky was driving around Fremont, Nebraska delivering packages for Amazon this summer. Like many college baseball players, his future in the sport was uncertain during the on-going pandemic.
Coming off of his senior year of high school at Papillion-La Vista South in 2017, Palensky was awarded a second-team USA Today All-Nebraska selection but no Division I offers.
Then, a call from an unknown number changed everything.
The uncertainty led him to follow in his brother’s footsteps and attend Southeast Community College in Lincoln, for his first years of college ball.
“I answered and the guy said he was from the Yankees, and I remember I was driving and just stopped the truck and pulled over right away to talk to him,” Palensky said. “Right after that, I called my dad like, ‘Pops, Pops, the Yankees just called me.’”
Starting right away his freshman season, Palensky racked up a batting average of .417 with 18 home runs, 77 RBIs, 72 runs scored, 24 stolen bases and 43 extra-base hits -- all while posting an .850 slugging percentage and a .515 on-base percentage.
And it wasn’t like they were diehard Yankees fans, Palensky said.
This quickly turned heads at the Division I level for Palensky. Coaches from the University of Illinois and Indiana University contacted him about playing for their programs the next year. His junior college team was playing in the Super Regionals his freshman year. They had just lost.
“But, like, it’s the New York Yankees, you know, they’re the most well-known baseball team ever, and they wanted me.” Why him? Why had the New York Yankees called him? Well, maybe it was the hard work, character, leadership and faith — all words former teammates and coaches will use to describe Palensky during his time at Nebraska. Palensky had already received a once-in-a-lifetime offer that he could not believe — when he was recruited to play for the Huskers. “It kind of blew me away because, I mean, it’s Nebraska, you know,” he said. “I’m from Nebraska, and I always looked up to Nebraska to be a place where I would never be able to ever go just because I never thought I was good enough. I didn’t think that I would be recruited there, but when I was, it was really kind of a whirlwind. It happened really fast.” What sticks out to a fan when looking back at Palensky’s impressive and short two-year career at Nebraska, was his on-field ability. In 2019, he led the Huskers in batting average, hits, runs scored, home runs, total bases, doubles and triples -- all as a sophomore. But what many fans do not see is the work behindthe-scenes, the faith that inspires him and the lasting impression he leaves on teammates, teachers and peers. All of this helped lead the Omaha-native to sign with the Yankees this summer, and maybe one day, playing in the Bronx in the famous pinstripes.
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“Nebraska has been calling me nonstop for the last month,” his coach said to him. “I’m gonna set up a visit for you, and I think you should go there.” It was the news Palensky had been waiting for. He made his decision to play college baseball in his home state at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This was
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a match made in heaven for the Huskers, as Palensky, in his first year, led them to its first NCAA Regional win in five seasons. From that season, Palensky earned Second-Team All-Big Ten Honors and landed on the radar for professional teams around the country. What is apparent when watching Palensky play is his near supernatural ability to hit. Even to the casual viewer in the stands, when Palensky stepped up to the plate, the Hawks Field at Haymarket Park would buzz with anticipation because of what could happen when the 5-foot11, 190-pounder stepped to the plate. But what they didn’t see was the time he put into becoming that good of a hitter and the little things he did to become the baseball player he is today. “Aaron had a great dedication to becoming better and finding different ways to get better,” said Palensky’s former hitting coach, Lance Harvell. “He spent time
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perfecting his craft and spent his time in the cage. He never backed down from hard work. And as a person, he is the kind of kid you would want to date your daughter, he’s an all-American boy.” When teammates think of Palensky, their first thought may be what a fantastic hitter he is. However, this is not how Palensky wants to be remembered. “Palensky always was the guy that was helping before and after practice setting up, he was always
“Aaron had a great dedication to becoming better and finding different ways to get better.” - Lance Harvell
the guy rolling the turtle down from right field to home plate for BP everyday, and I wanted to be like that, never complacent,” said Nebraska freshman All-American Leighton Banjoff, “That’s what he’s so good at: bringing the best out of people.” Palensky and Banjoff played t o g e t h e r a f t e r P a l e n s k y ’s phenomenal sophomore year, but Palensky didn’t act like a player who had just had one of the most impressive years in recent Nebraska baseball history, Banjoff said. When both his former teammate Banjoff and hitting coach Harvell were asked if everybody around him benefited from playing and coaching around him, both had the same answer: 100%. Palensky is many things: a good baseball player, a good teammate and a hard worker. But if you asked him what trait is the most crucial to his success, it would be his devout faith; he carries himself different than most. “Whatever you do, do it with all
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your heart, as working for the Lord, not for man,” Palensky said when asked about his faith, citing Colossians 3:32 “So, whenever I’m feeling really down on a day, I would say, ‘God, I’m gonna take this time and turn this into a worship session and give whatever I have to you.’”
who I was in my faith. Man, he’s definitely not shy about it — he will let you know that he loves God and that his faith is strong, and you can definitely see that by the way he acts.”
Palensky is not only devoted to his faith but does his part in sharing his faith and helping fellow teammates in their faith walk.
“Sometimes whenever it was late at night after I would get done hitting, like sometimes, I’ll just walk around the locker room and put hands on all the lockers and just pray for all of them. You know, maybe if I couldn’t do something, you know, hopefully God would step in and do what I couldn’t to help my teammates.”
“There were many times that Aaron and I were at the training table eating and just talked about God, talked about our faith, and just listened to each other,” Banjoff said. “The one thing that he really did a lot was push me to go and search out
What he does behind closed doors when nobody is looking has made him who he is today.
“The College of Journalism and Mass Communications made me the confident reporter I am today. The professors pushed me in the classroom every day and made sure the stories I told were compelling and moving. From editing, to interviews and being confident in front of the camera, I now get to showcase all the skills I learned in Andersen Hall right in my profession.”
Allie Snow ’20, KLKN reporter and photojournalist
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F E AT U R E S
The Mental States of student Athletes: A Journey from Lincoln to Omaha
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Without a structured schedule comes the challenge of finding new ways to focus on other areas of life, Izuegbunam said.
Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, Nebraska, on Sept. 17, 2020. Peyton Stoike photo
While Wesleyan’s women’s golf team is one team still playing its season, the men’s soccer team at the private Division III university in Lincoln did not get cleared to play this season.
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he smell of fresh cut grass, the view of the lush green fairway, the sound of a driver shaping a golf ball and the sight of one sport at Nebraska Wesleyan University that did not get canceled this fall: women’s golf. Even then, playing in a pandemic for Peyton Savington, a junior golfer on the women’s team at Wesleyan has been “really, really hard.” “My mother is immune compromised so I haven’t seen her since March,” she said, but was finally able to see her mother in August. The cancellation of sports since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a significant toll on the mental health and wellbeing of adolescents, according to
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“The shock of not being able to play was frustrating at first,” Logan Lawrence, a junior men’s soccer player at Nebraska Wesleyan, said. “I think we have all come to terms with it, and we get it. We are a high-contact sport and that there is a bigger chance of us spreading COVID than other sports like tennis. My teammates and I are content now and ready to get out and practice.”
By Taylor Riemersma and Nick Schreiter
Even though Lawrence said he is OK with the decision now, he was in favor of at least trying to start the season before canceling it all together.
a recent study by a team of physicians, child health experts and researchers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
“Let us start the season and have us COVID test at the beginning like we still had to do to practice, and if someone showed COVID symptoms, have them test again,” he said.
“It’s a challenge they’ve never had to deal with before,” said Nedu Izuegbunam, athletic counselor at the University of NebraskaLincoln. “You have athletes who have played sports most of their lives, some at the age of 2 years old.”
Some other teams, such as golf, received limited clearance and restricted travel to tournaments for competition.
The Wisconsin study found that 68 percent of the 3,243 student athletes reported feelings of anxiety and depression at levels that would typically require medical intervention - an increase of 37 percent from past research studies, and the quality-of-life scores were lower than researchers had ever found in similar studies of adolescents.
“We were supposed to go on a lot more trips,” Savington said, adding that fans will not be allowed in the clubhouse and extensive social distancing at practice will be required along with other measures such as leaving the flag in the hole. Logan Lawrence/Photo: Double6Photograph
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Peyton Savington/Photo: Lane Photographics
“I feel safe about practices and that sort of thing,” she said. “(But) I don’t know who else around me has been social distancing or has been making sure they’re being safe wearing their mask.”
Inside Memorial Stadium in the Nebraska Athletic Department, more than 600 Huskers can receive 24/7 access, support and counseling, athletic counselors like Izuegbunam are seeing a lot more student athletes openly express symptoms of depression and anxiety, and not just social anxiety.
During practice on the Wesleyan soccer team, Lawrence said it has been more difficult to bond with his teammates and get to know them while wearing masks.
“I think that social distancing implies that we shouldn’t socialize,” Izuegbunam said. “I like to call it physical distancing. Right now, more than ever, we need to keep those connections, whether that’s through virtual means such as Zoom, gaming, texting or Facetime. If there was ever a time to interact with other human beings, it’s now.” UNL student athletes receive support through counseling and talking about their personal lives with the sports psychology team. Izuegbunam said the athletic counselors are looking at starting groups for transitioning from life without sports, adulting and stress management. He also recommended the counseling center on campus. Without sports, it’s hard to do many things if you aren’t mentally right, Izuegbunam said. “Make sure you’re functioning right,” he said. “Make sure you process what you are thinking. Make sure to talk to someone -- That can be valuable. It can help gain an understanding of what you are going through.” *** As the year progressed and coronavirus remained, fans questioned when sports would return. In June, Supercross started the first-ever bubble, an isolated area of athletes and personnel in Salt Lake City for 68 UNLimited_10.20
“Where in years past, I’d hang out with them outside of the field, and when I’m on the field, just focus on soccer,” he said. “We have to bond on the field a lot more.”
six-straight weeks of championship racing. In July, NASCAR, the WNBA and the NBA competed without fans in isolated locations. The NCAA released options to individuals, schools and conferences to make the decision that best suited them. Some colleges and conferences canceled sports altogether at first but reevaluated and are planning to have a season after all -- like the Big Ten and Pac-12. Others like the SEC, Big 12 and ACC decided to proceed from the start, and still other conferences canceled some sports and held seasons for others. Some nearby fan bases were left in awkward spots, as states like Iowa always had Iowa State University to root for, even when the University of Iowa wasn’t allowed to play at first.
The University of Kansas and Kansas State University were playing football from the beginning. Kansas State and the UNL are separated by 139 miles and eons apart with how their sports seasons would go if conference leaders had stuck to their original decisions. Without football, many Nebraskans had nothing to look forward to for a while. The fallout could have left at least 90,000 fans sitting at home on the weekends without any other team to root for while teams a few hours away played ball. Most athletes said they were ready to play during the pandemic. Some, like Savington, said she did not feel completely comfortable playing in competitions.
Many Americans have different ideas for how government bodies should respond to the pandemic, which has made coming to a consensus on how to handle college athletics a difficult and often hot topic. Some Big Ten parents sent letters expressing their concerns following the decision to postpone fall sports. Eight Huskers football players sued the Big Ten, and two state attorneys general threatened to file a suit against the Big Ten for monetary damages. Even President Trump tweeted his support for Big Ten football to return. Finally, the Big Ten conference reversed its course and approved a condensed fall football schedule. “There’s plenty of positive components that sports have on mental health,” Izuegbunam said. “From a fan aspect, it brings people together. You may meet people that you have never met because of competition, whether that is as a fan or an athlete. That team camaraderie, that sense of belonging, is so much to us mentally in a positive way.” UNLimited_10.20
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the Nebraska School Activities Association off guard, said Jay Bellar, executive director of the Nebraska Schools Activities Association, which charged school districts this summer to consult the local health department when deciding on fall sports. The chain of reactions included several families changing districts and buying new houses just miles down the road, so their student athletes could play for another school. Bellar said he didn’t foresee the fallout this significant.
Omaha S
am Scott was relaxing before heading off to work on August 7. He was just sitting on his couch when something on Twitter caught his eye. “Wow, this is really happening,” he said to himself. Scott, a former Omaha North High School football player, never made it to work that day. Instead, he answered questions from local TV stations about the postponement of all Omaha Public Schools fall sports until at least October 16. The decision angered and disappointed many Omaha families. Three weeks later, on August 31, a crowd of 200 -- mostly student athletes,
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“I really didn’t think that would happen just because of what took place in OPS,” Bellar said. “But I should have known better because football is very, very big in Nebraska, and they want their sons to be able to play football.”
Words: Cody Frederick Visuals: James Rowland Jordan Diaz, a senior Long Snapper at Omaha Central High School in Omaha, Nebraska.
coaches, parents and fans -- protested outside of OPS headquarters on western edge of downtown Omaha in frustration over the decision to postpone fall sports, including former Huskers football player and Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers who spoke in support of fall sports during the ongoing pandemic. Then, on September 8, OPS announced that fall sports would be attempted during the spring season, which would require changing the rules to allow student athletes to participate in two sports during the same season. The OPS decision even caught the head of
Every other one of the 272 school districts in Nebraska are playing sports this fall, including schools five to 10 minutes away in Millard, Bellevue, Papillon and Gretna. Omaha High School athletes pushed back on social media pushback in the weeks that followed with the hashtag #LetUsPlay. Bellar said the NSAA backs the decision of the school district. “If OPS thinks that’s best for their kids, we can’t second guess them,” he said. “We know that it’s hard on kids, and I wish it could have been different, I really do, but I do respect where OPS is coming from. This pandemic isn’t fair, and so when we talk about being fair to everybody, it’s not going to be. It’s not fair to Omaha that they didn’t get to participate, but that virus isn’t fair either.” *** Some player’s parents feel like the OPS UNLimited_10.20
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superintendent Cheryl Logan, Ed.D. and other administrators are not listening or even responding efficiently to their complaints.
“They worked for this,” Tiffany said. “It just got taken away. No parent survey … They just said, ‘We’re taking it.’ We’re the parents. We should have a say on if they play.”
Scott has since transferred to Skutt Catholic High School in Omaha in order to play.
Tiffany said she signs a yearly waiver to release her son to play football with the risk of injury and even death.
His father, Greg Scott, is one of the parents who thinks Logan made a “horrible decision.”
Greg guaranteed “every parent” would be willing to sign a COVID waiver to allow their child to play with the risk of illness or death. Jordan has seen his recruitment slow down after the decision by OPS. Kansas State University was looking, he said, along with Minnesota and Wisconsin, but the offers have declined. Another problem with the decision to cancel fall sports is the impact on students’ academic performance.
“I think she’s listening to only one side of the argument,” he said. “She’s listening to people that are adhered to completely by the fears and potentials of COVID.” Greg also believes Logan isn’t focusing on the right statistics when it comes to COVID. “There’s a complete disregard to paying attention to the recovery rate and how many people are actually dying,” he said. “It’s all based 100% on who’s getting COVID, and that’s the number. That’s the number they go by. They act like if you get it, you’re dead.” Sam has scholarship offers from four FCS schools and is close to getting an offer from Wyoming and Nebraska, Greg said. The Scott family said they tried hard to keep Sam at Omaha North while still playing football this fall.
Not only has the pandemic and the decision taken football away from the OPS athletes, but all fall sports -- including cross country, volleyball, softball, boys tennis and girls golf -- were postponed. Unlike football, however, most of these sports have club sports for students to play.
“We didn’t want to pull him out, and we asked a lot of questions, and we talked to the NSAA,” Greg said. “We were just brought to a place where we had enough.”
“It’s the kids that play football that are screwed,” Greg said. “They don’t have club for football. Your high school is your football. I’m not minimizing their impact, but it is true. They have an outlet they can at least look at.”
One positive out of this situation for Sam is a new love of the game, his father said. Sam now realizes how much playing football means to him after it was temporarily taken away.
Like a lot of parents who are frustrated, Tiffany Diaz, mother of Jordan Diaz, a football player at Omaha Central High School, said she was devastated when she first heard the announcement.
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“Sports are a big thing for kids because sports are really what brings kids to school and makes them want to do good in school, and I feel like it will affect kids in school if they don’t have sports,” Jordan said. Jaylen Davis, another Omaha Central High School football player, sees the same
problem as Jordan. “It really made me mad because people really go to school just to play sports and keep up their grades just so they can keep playing,” Davis said. *** When members of the OPS family protested on August 31, they asked for Dr. Logan and OPS officials to make a change regarding its decision. “I know she can tell the kids are really devastated by not giving us this opportunity,” Jordan said. “She saw them protesting and wanting to get back into fall sports. I think we will make a change. It might not be a humongous change, but any change can help with the situation.” Nearly one week after the protest, at a special school board meeting on September 8, OPS revealed a plan to play fall sports in the spring. Still, some said it was not a good idea. Executive Director Jay Bellar Nebraska School Activities Association
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“We have a lot of multiple sport athletes that do track or soccer in the spring,” Jordan said. “Even though football is a big sport, they might want to play those other sports as well, and it would be really hard for them to do that.”
“We’re the parents. We should have a say on if they play.”
Some OPS teachers also coach both in the fall and spring. If there is a spring season, students looking to enroll early and play spring football at their respective universities would not get to showcase their film before national signing day on February 3.
- Ti ffa n y D ia z
“The main reason why I chose Skutt Catholic is because I am not up for a spring season,” Sam said. “The deadline for signing dates are probably not going to change … So you’re playing football for what? You’re competing for what? No state championship.” Bellar said he isn’t sure how the spring season will work as the NSAA awaits the proposal from OPS.
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Current NSAA bylaws prohibit athletes from participating in two sports during the same season. If the NSAA allowed that to happen this year, many small schools could be upset because they have been asking about dual participation for years, and the NSAA has always said no.
The best solution in the eyes of Jordan is, of course, reversing course and allowing OPS to start competing immediately. “I wish we could get back in and play this week’s games,” Jordan said, adding that he would be in favor of playing a six-game schedule with OPS.
Q&A Omaha, Nebraska is one of the most racially
segregated towns in the United States. Blue dots represent White people in Omaha, who take up nearly all of the western part of the city, with clear lines of division -- 72nd Street running north-south and Dodge Street running east-west -- dividing the city. Black Americans are represented by the green dots live mostly in north Omaha, while Hispanics are represented by orange dots and live predominantly in south Omaha. Asian populations are in red. Few industries or programs within Omaha are insulated
from this racial division, and youth sports are not immune to this either. Geographicbased leagues are convenient to parents and players alike, but does their presence continue to pass down this divided legacy?
UNLimited Sports reporter Luke Mullin dives into that overarching topic through a series of Q&As with local youth sports coaches and experts, starting with Nick Push, fifth-grade football coach and board member of the Omaha North Junior Vikings.
“We need some sort of ability to have some film out there for colleges showing what we can do and how good we are,” he said. “The best opportunity for us to get back in would be to jump back in the season with all of the teams.” Greg said he believes his family made the right choice to change schools and houses. “We realize the risk. There’s a lot at stake,” he said. “You’re selling your home, and you’ve got a lease on a new place, but I would do it in a heartbeat again because we love our son, and we want an opportunity to be able to play because once high school football is done, it’s done.”
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racialdotmap.demographics.coopercenter.org
“Nothing is off the table,” Bellar said. “If it’s just OPS, they would play OPS people, and if the proposal is two or three games, I don’t know what that’s going to look like.”
Why should we change our seasons to make them happy?’”
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Q: What’s your favorite thing about coaching? Nick Push: From a competitive
standpoint it’s fun, it’s intense and it’s an opportunity to take a team and build up the kids and teach them the game and go out and compete against some really good coaches. From a personal standpoint, the relationship with the kids (is important). A lot of my former players are high school seniors, and to see those kids develop, with some of them playing Division I football next year is special. I can’t take credit for that but having had the opportunity to be a part of their journey ... You run into kids you coach and see them having that success, and it’s really rewarding. They still call you coach and it’s just great to have that long-term relationship with those guys -- seeing them be successful is probably the funnest thing. My wife and I choose to live in north Omaha because it’s a mission for us in a way to work in the north Omaha area and try to raise up the area. We want to be a part of the solution in north Omaha and not a part of the problem where everyone who has the means to move out, moves out. We enjoy helping to build up that part of town and be a part of our neighborhood and the community in a positive way. To see those kids come out of some of those situations with the opportunity to go to college, better their lives and change the future for their family is important for us, too.
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Q: The Junior Vikes have a strong history in north Omaha, so why do you think enrollment is down? A: When the floods came through in
2011, the Missouri River flooded and wiped out Highland Park, but up to that time they had 500-600 kids there with a lot of community involvement. After that, they lost a season and had to move. It kind of shrunk down and got smaller from having an in-house league to fielding teams in the MYFL. We’re building back up and our numbers aren’t down that much considering the virus this year, which is a pretty good success for us. Last year, pre-virus, we were running a little over 200 kids, and this year we’re not far from that.
“We want to be a part of the solution in north Omaha and not a part of the problem.”
Victory Formation
Our goal is to get it back to where it was. We’re working on some partnerships and putting together some fundraising things (golf fundraiser, firework stand, Q: What positive impact sponsorships). The goal of that is to make our program free, because we does football have on believe that if we can get the price youth in your program? point down or make it free to where it’s accessible to any kid in the neighborhood A: It causes you to do better in school who wants to play, then we can get our because you have people holding you numbers back to where they used to be. accountable and you’ve got a reason to be there and a vested interest in getting good grades, so you don’t have to run Q: What economic issues extra laps or whatever it may be. The overall positives of teamwork and work does the organization ethic apply, but it also applies to doing face? well in school and staying on track. A: We’ve had some pretty nice We see that in our kids when parents donations in the last few years of used equipment or nearly new equipment, and come to us saying, ‘Little Johnny had a bad day in school today,’ or maybe they that’s helped out a lot. That’s kept our mouthed off to their mom, and we have operating expenses from the last years the opportunity to have conversations in the $8,000-10,000 range. We’ve got about that with the kids. They do some some costs related to the field, but one of things which is really a blessing for the extra lines and then we talk about it organization is that in 1969 OPPD leased and ask them to apologize to their mom or whatever it needs to be, and that Power Park to the Lil Vikes with a 100happens every year. year lease for $1. OPPD last year did a big volunteer day to help us out, so we’ve been pretty blessed on that end. We’ve kept our costs relatively low and that’s helped us keep our prices low to play. At the end of the year we might have $2,000-5,000 in the bank at the end of the year, and the cost is $120, but a lot of kids get scholarships or financial assistance because the name of the game is to get kids to play, no one is making money off the deal. We’re not a wealthy organization but we’ve been blessed.
I’ve had years where I put a folding table next to the field because I had parents say they needed to pull their kid because they’re not doing their homework. I have them bring their homework and do their homework while we practice. We’ll get it done this way and let them keep some motivation instead of taking it away so they have no tools to get their work done. Those are positives that I see, and that’s why I believe in youth sports so much because I really believe it helps kids.
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