Beyond the Ball recognizes local youth athletes for positive impacts

By Sam Peterson
Swift County Monitor
This summer local youth ball players have been acknowledged by the new Beyond the Ball program. Instead of focusing on their play on the field, those who earn the award are selected for demonstrating good sportsmanship, leadership, hardwork and showing respect for players, coaches and officials.
Janae Olson led the charge to start the program this summer and has brought in seven travel baseball and softball teams into the program, including Benson and Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg.
Before each game with participating teams, an umpire or coach is selected to choose a player from each team to receive the Beyond the Ball honor. The winner of the award was presented with a certificate, a bag of sunflower seeds and a gift card.
The Beyond the Ball program secured donations over 130 bags of sunflower seeds, paper, ink and gift cards to make the team kits. The program recognized approximately 130 kids this summer. A player was eligible to win the award multiple times and there were 10 two-time winners from Benson, including: Jack Cook, McCoy Cook, Lillian Gunderson, Colton Hoberg, Blake Hughes, Brody O’Leary, Derek Olson, Lucas Olson, Jacob Schliep and Luis Zehringer.
After a successful summer of Beyond the Ball, Olson is looking to bring this program to more towns and expand into different sports. She recently received confirmation that fifth grade tackle football and fifth grade travel basketball will join the program in Benson.
In sports, it is easy to get hung up on the play on the field, but the most valuable lessons it teaches is hard work, respect and sportsmanship. Beyond the Ball hopes to continue highlighting the character of young local athletes to encourage the highest level of sportsmanship while competing in the sport they love.