Athletics: Freeman reflects on 2023-24 sports season

BRAINERD — Jack Freeman’s third year as the Brainerd Warriors activities director made a “State”ment.

One team title and five individual state titles highlighted the 2023-24 athletic seasons for the Brainerd Warriors, but there were successes all season long to celebrate.

Freeman hopes to keep the momentum rolling into next season, but challenges await.

Q: How much fun is it to celebrate state success?

JF: At state send offs, I always remind our kids how special it is to be able to represent your school and community on the state’s biggest stage. It’s a privilege many dream of, but few achieve. This past year, we had numerous kids who were able to live out those dreams. More incredible, we had kids who were able to bring home state championships. I can’t express how proud I am of those kids, coaches, and teams. To be a state champion in the biggest class; that’s an accomplishment that will be part of our history forever.

Q: Not only state success, but the season started with the football program having a banner year. The girls’ cross-country team advances to state. The girls’ tennis team makes a state appearance and sends individuals as does the girls’ swimming and diving team. The fall set the tone for what was to come would you agree?

JF: I would agree with that. All of the teams you mentioned had seasons of significance. I’m a believer that our programs can be the heartbeat of our school and community. The way our football team captured our community this fall was special. You could see it in the capacity crowds, strong following, and constant chatter around town. I loved the way our team competed. Warrior pride was alive and well this spring and our football team really showcased that.

Cross-country, tennis, and swimming and diving are also perfect example seasons of significance. The cross-country state meet was brought back to the University of Minnesota campus. It was fun to see our kids compete there. I know coach Herath is really excited about what those kids achieved this year. Our team has a really bright future. Girls’ swimming was a lot like track and field, it seemed like our kids were breaking a different school record each race. Girls’ tennis had a historic season, it was fun to see them send coach Salo out on such a high note. When I was down at the state tennis tournament, a ticket worker asked me where I was from. When I told him I was from Brainerd, he said, “Every person in the arena this morning seems to be from Brainerd.” That community support is special; it doesn’t exist everywhere. We are lucky to live in this community.

Q: Then the winter hits and we’ve got both Nordic ski teams advancing to state with the boys’ relay team of Lance Hastings and Taite Knapp capturing a state title. The girls’ Alpine team advances to state. Adapted floor hockey finishes second at state and of course, the Warrior Dance Team captures their first state title in 25 years. How busy was your winter?

JF: We host 14 sports in the winter. I always tell people it is a good kind of busy. It’s a privilege to be able to watch our kids compete in all of the different settings. It was fun to go to Giants Ridge and see all the Warriors competing at Nordic and Alpine state. Coach Rutger, Ryan, and Hanson have built strong programs that have great history and tradition. Our girls’ Alpine team capturing third and the sprint relay team capturing a state championship was special. They added to each program’s storybook seasons. Adapted Floor Hockey lost a heartbreaker in overtime. The kids played their hearts out. With so many kids returning, we’re excited about their future. Our dance program never ceases to amaze me. The amount of time those kids put in, the commitment they live out on a daily basis, the standards to which they hold themselves accountable, the culture coach Clough and her staff foster and protect… it’s no surprise to see their success. We were the first out-state team to win a state championship in the largest class since we last did it in 1999. They had a dream season and were the talk of the state. I also think it’s important to recognize the investment our community made in the Blueprint 181. With the added spaces, our dance team has a dedicated gym to train in during their season. That is not the norm across the state. The investment our community made has really benefited our programs. Our dance team and swim teams are perfect examples of that.

Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch

Q: Spring brought much of the same with three individuals competing in state golf and the Warrior track and field teams bringing home four gold medals. It’s been awhile since Brainerd has enjoyed that kind of state success. How enjoyable was this past school year?

JF: Our spring teams wrapped up the year with a lot of positives. It seemed like track and field broke a new record at every meet. I was so happy for those kids and coaches. A lot of people saw the headlines, but it was even more special to see the inputs that went into making those headlines a reality. All of those kids worked so hard for their success. Cora Clough was our first female state champion in track and field since 1987, that really captured how incredible of an accomplishment everything was. She’s a three sporter for us and proof that you do not need to specialize to have success at the highest level. Ty Nelson put so much time and effort into the triple jump. He worked so hard to become the incredible athlete he is. To see all of his effort pay off on the biggest stage was inspiring. Dylan Gross persevered through many challenges and injuries. To be able to go out on top the way he did as a double state champion is so deserving. Mankato is getting a good one. They all have so much to be proud of.

Q: Unfortunately some of the programs we mentioned will have new faces leading them next year. Lisa Salo with girls’ tennis retired as did John Zemke with the boys’ swimming and diving program, Tom Grausam with boys’ soccer and the dynamic duo of Mary Claire Ryan and Chris Hanson with the Nordic ski teams. You lost a lot of experience with that bunch. How do you keep those programs successful?

JF: When I first was hired, a colleague told me the best advice I can give you is: hire good people. My predecessors did that. All the names you mentioned are coaches who are good people. They all knew their greater purpose as coaches and used their platforms to do so much good. Having to replace those people is nerve racking. I’ll be honest, having to replace so many in such a short period of time has kept me up at night. They have shared that they navigated similar situations and with the vacancies comes opportunity. I think one of my biggest charges as an AD is to connect kids to caring adults. As we have gone through every interview, I have kept that at the forefront. I’m confident that we have made some great hires. Our new hires this spring knocked it out of the park. Our programs have bright futures.

Q: You’ve had great success finding new head coaches to replace legends though. Casey Miller did a great job with the Warrior boys’ track and field team. Tim Johnson and Karissa Haugen continued to send athletes to state in boys and girls golf. Garrett Goeden proved himself with the boys’ tennis program as did Tom Fairbanks with the baseball team. That’s just the spring. Jerr Johnson and the Warrior boys’ hockey team seem to be a good fit. Jim Kath isn’t necessarily new but he was another good hire for the wrestling program. How lucky have you been with your new coaches?

JF: We’re blessed to have people in our community who believe in education-based athletics. All seven of those coaches are perfect examples of that. They connect well with kids, they care about the experience kids will have in our programs, and they believe in the value that our programs bring to our kids, school, and community. I have the advantage of being able to see all that those people pour into those programs. We’re lucky to have them in front of our kids on a daily basis. They have done an incredible job creating programs that people want to be a part of.

Q: One thing helping the new coaches and all the Warrior programs is an investment and dedication to strength training at the high school. Talk to me about what’s been going on with that endeavor?

JF: This is something that we have been working on for the past three years. We saw a need to have a dedicated strength and performance coach at the high school who could work with all of our athletic teams and phy ed staff. We shared our vision with Essentia Health and they believed in it. They stepped up big time to fully fund the salary and benefits of the position. We are excited to have our new head strength coach, Alex Brodjeski, on board. He comes to us with a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field. He is partnering with all 31 of our athletic teams to design and implement in-season and out-of-season programming. He’s also co-teaching three classes per day with our PE staff- 139 of our athletes registered to get their strength and performance training during the school day. Our goals were to provide all of our student-athletes with comprehensive, affordable, accessible, first-rate training. We want our strength and performance program to be the measuring stick for the state of Minnesota because we believe that it is the common thread for all of our programs.

Q: Athletic facilities are always a question lurking in the background. What are some of the projects you’re working on and fundraising for?

JF: First, I want to make it clear that we are incredibly blessed to have the spaces, facilities, and resources that we do. We live in an incredibly generous community that has always supported our programs and needs. I can’t thank the community enough for that support. We are now wrapping up four years worth of construction with Blueprint 181 and able to allocate more time towards projects outside of Blueprint 181. The tracks at Forestview and BHS will be resurfaced this July. Both need to be resurfaced to protect the initial investment and expand the life expectancies of the track. We are looking at bids for improvements at the softball field that include field leveling and improving the path and viewing area. We will be purchasing scoreboards for the softball field and new gyms. There is a group organizing to do some fundraising for improvements to the dugouts and bullpen area at softball. We have a lot of infrastructure coming to life, we will need to be strategic, resourceful, and responsible when it comes to addressing these items.

Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch

Q: We learned this spring that parking is a headache for the school district when there are baseball, softball and track and field all going on at the same time. What’s the thinking for the future with parking? I know that’s probably not a subject an activities director would be asked about.

JF: There isn’t a great solution for the lack of parking at baseball and softball. We have heard the concerns from the community. We have done our best to encourage carpooling, save the spots closest to the fields for those who need it the most, and provide shuttles to those who need it. I’m open to any ideas or suggestions. There are things we could do, but they all have a significant price tag.

Q: You just finished your third year. Are things getting easier? What new challenges have arisen?

JF: There was a steep learning curve with this position. Charlie Campbell told me that I would feel a lot more confident and comfortable after three years in the role. I’m lucky to be in this position and get to serve a school and community I love. I wouldn’t be able to do the job if I didn’t have incredible people around me who are always willing to help and support. A new challenge that comes to mind is staffing. I’m worried about official shortages. I look to the fall and there are still a lot of unknowns with our soccer officials. There is potential that we will be down to three soccer officials in our area. That is very concerning. If there are any community members interested in becoming a soccer official, please give our office a call.

Q: You’ve continued the tradition of celebrating Brainerd’s recent successes as well as past success with the Warrior All Sports Banquet and Warrior Hall of Fame. The event was moved this year and changed a bit. How did it go?

JF: It’s important to me that we honor our traditions, celebrate our past, and add to the story of the Warrior Way. Those things make our programs and community special and worth protecting. The overwhelming feedback about the venue change for the All-Sports Recognition has been positive. The community made a significant investment in that venue and I thought it was important to showcase the venue at a great community celebration such as All-Sports Banquet. Anytime you make a change, you want to make sure it is well thought out and planned. It wasn’t a decision that was made lightly.

Q: What big things can Warrior fans expect or anticipate for the next school year?

JF: We are always looking for ways to improve our programs. One of the best qualities of our staff is that we are never content. I’m excited about the investment we have made in our strength and performance program. To see all of our athletes working out in our newly remodeled weight room has been spectacular. There has been incredible connection between athletes, coaches, and programs. I am excited to see how living out the belief in “the common thread” will add to our culture and school.