TrekNorth in Bemidji Trekking Towards Building 1st Ever Football Program

Move over, BSU: you might not have the only green football team in town anymore.

TrekNorth, a charter school in Bemidji, is building a football program of their own, and although doing so comes with its fair share of challenges, the reward is worth the effort.

“I just mentioned to a few kids, ‘How about [playing] football,’ and they said, ‘Yeah,'” explained Jerry Snow, the head coach of TrekNorth football. “So I went to the administration and I said, ‘I want to start a football team.’ And they said, ‘If you can get it organized and get it moving, we’ll support it.'”

Players have been practicing on a little patch of grass barely big enough for an 80-yard field. As a charter school, TrekNorth lacks many of the resources state-funded schools have.

“We have to raise every penny that we have in order to create this program,” said Snow. “So the booster club has been raising money.”

Nolan Jansen, a sophomore wide receiver, is willing to do whatever it takes to help raise funds. “When we are out of school, we are going to people’s houses, asking them to buy things and like, ‘Hey, give us money, we’re trying to start a football team.'”

Lack of transportation is also an issue, making it harder for kids to stay after school for activities like football.

“Not a lot of people were showing up to play,” Jansen admitted. “People were kind of hesitant about playing football, so we had to get in the hallways and be like, ‘Hey, you should join football. Just show up.’ And we started out with less than a full team of nine men. We started out with eight people and now we have like a good 18, so we’ve kind of overcome that challenge so far.”

This season, TrekNorth is playing flag football with the plan to make the jump to 9-player football next year, but the positive impact of the sport is already apparent in life skills the athletes are learning.

“I was told I was a leader all my life,” said junior offensive lineman Cullen Johnson. “I didn’t believe it. Now here playing, I think now I’m a leader. I’m a natural-born leader.”

And while they’re learning skills for life, they’re also making friends for life.

“I haven’t talked to a lot of these guys before, and now I’m best friends with them,” added Johnson. “Even the little kids, it’s awesome.”

And all it took was on a little patch of grass, just big enough for an 80-yard field – one they hope will soon be home to TrekNorth football.

“I’m happy that this opportunity is here for these kids because these kids have been working so hard and they’re so hungry for it,” acknowledged Snow. “These kids have been amazing.”

TrekNorth plays games against themselves every Friday beginning at 4 p.m.. If they are able to join the MSHSL as a 9-player football team next season, they will be the first charter school in the state of Minnesota to do so.