MSU President's column for Traill County Tribune
July 6, 2013
Mayville State to host Shrine Bowl athletes and coaches
Mayville State University will host the North Dakota Shrine Bowl players and coaches during their week of training prior to this year’s 9-man and 11-man games. The Shrine Bowl will be held at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks on July 20. The North Dakota Shrine Bowl is sponsored by the Kem and El Zagal Temples of Grand Forks and Fargo, North Dakota. Participating players and coaches are selected by the North Dakota High School Coaches Association.
The 132 members of the East and West 9-man and 11-man teams and their 16 coaches will practice at the Mayville State practice fields and Jerome Berg Field. Accommodations will be provided in Mayville State residence halls and dining services. Shrine game players and coaches will arrive at Mayville State at noon Monday, July 15 and check out the morning of July 20.
The Shriners Hospitals for Children - Twin Cities will be offering free evaluations for pediatric orthopaedic specialty care in the MSU Classroom Building on Thursday, July 18 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Children up to age 18 with an orthopaedic condition (muscle-, bone-, or joint-related) are eligible for care at Shriners Hospitals for Children, regardless of ability to pay. If you know of a child who may need care, please let their parents know about this opportunity. Those who will partake in the evaluation are invited to come early and join the Shrine Bowl football players for lunch, followed by an opportunity to practice drills at their mini camp.
In addition to the regular Shrine Bowl practice schedule, a few special activities are planned for players and coaches throughout the week. Tuesday evening, July 16, will be movie night. Thursday will be a day filled with activities. It’s press day, so area media have been invited to come over and take photos and visit with players and coaches. The Mayville-Portland Shriners will host a dinner for players and coaches at the Mayville Golf Club Thursday evening. Mayville State will provide a game night, including pool, video games, snacks, and more, on Friday.
Players and coaches will check out of the Mayville State residence halls Saturday morning, July 20, and proceed to the Alerus Center in Grand Forks for the annual banquet which begins at 10:30 a.m. The 11-man game will begin at 4:00 p.m. at the Alerus Center, followed by the 9-man game at 7:00 p.m. The games are open to the public and tickets can be purchased at the Alerus Center on game day. Tickets will sell for $5.00 each and are not available in advance.
This marks the 40th annual Shrine Bowl. Teams are made up of 120 athletes from North Dakota and 12 from northwest Minnesota, areas included in the Kem and El Zagal territories. The 16 coaches are all members in good standing with the North Dakota High School Coaches Association. Selections were based on the coaches’ respective 2012 seasons.
For more information about the North Dakota Shrine Bowl, go to NDShrineBowl.com.
We are thrilled about the opportunity to have these young men and their coaches on our campus. Our new and updated facilities will help us to provide a great atmosphere and experience for this distinguished group of athletes and coaches. I invite you to come over to campus and watch practices between July 15 and 19 to get a preview to the Shrine Bowl 2013.