CSB partners with Vikings to launch Bennie flag football

This spring, flag football will be coming to CSB Athletics. Flag football is currently the fastest growing high school sport in the nation. With this increasing interest, the Minnesota Vikings began investing in the sport and partnering with schools across the Midwest. This program is possible due to CSB’s partnership with the Vikings and
other universities. CSB will join the Midwest College Women’s Flag Football League, which is in its second season as a league. This league includes Augsburg, Augustana
(SD), Concordia-Moorhead, Bethel, Gustavus Adolphus, Northwestern-St. Paul, St. Scholastica and University of Wisconsin-Stout.

At the involvement fair held earlier this semester, 25 first-year students expressed interest in being part of this new team. The creation of this team serves as an opportunity for women to participate in flag football at the collegiate level as well as an ongoing effort to grow enrollment. Assistant Director of Athletics Communications Jordan Modjeski played a key role in advertising the newest addition to CSB Athletics. Modjeski, who was hired in June, learned about this new program in late August, and it quickly became her first major project.

With her focus being on the communication and strategy of this new program launch, Modjeski said this process has been dynamic and rewarding. Modjeski was tasked with creating a plan on how to advertise this new team to foster engagement and interest. This plan involved a promotional video, organizing a press conference, collaborating with the Minnesota Vikings, holding a team media day, capturing practices and writing two stories about the program. All this work was to prepare for the program’s official launch which took place this week. Modjeski said her favorite part of this project has been working with the student athletes.

“Hearing about their experiences with flag football has been exciting, and as someone who is personally passionate about the sport and its growth, I’m thrilled that it’s becoming one of the next great programs at CSB,” Modjeski said.

Looking ahead to the upcoming season, Modjeski said she is excited to see the team on the field as well following their journey throughout the season.

“I have a strong sense that the program will thrive and grow quickly over the next few years, and I’m eager to help tell that story every step of the way,” Modjeski said.

CSB Athletic Director Kelly Anderson Diercks said the college decided to move forward on this program after meeting with a consultant group that explained the numerous benefits this would provide, including enrollment.

“Flag football was one of the sports identified as being able to recruit new students to the college. From there, a committee of CSB and SJU staff reviewed the variables that would go into making flag football come to fruition. After extensive review, the College decided that we would move forward with adding flag football,” Anderson Diercks said.

Anderson Diercks said she is excited for the opportunities for student experience and enrollment this program will provide.

“On the enrollment side, new Bennies will be choosing to come to CSB for a great education and the opportunity to play flag football. On the student experience side, CSB+SJU are already communities where football and the gameday experience are truly outstanding. It’s a natural place to support the growth of flag football and the women’s game,” Anderson Diercks said.

For Anderson Diercks, she said she believes athletics are an extension of the classroom, and adding flag football to the department is another way for students to engage in this.

“It [athletics] gives students opportunities to learn about teamwork, time management and performing under pressure. If we can recruit new students to these great institutions and give them a great experience while they are here, while at the same time being a part of one of the fastest growing sports in the country, it’s going to be a win-win,”

Anderson Diercks said. CSB Assistant Athletic Director Jon Roesch is also very excited for this program and what it will bring to CSB. In his youth, Roesch used to play flag football, so he’s looking forward to see how this program goes this spring. He’s also excited to be able to build this team up from square one.

“It gives young women an opportunity to participate in a varsity sport at a division three institution. It’s an up-and-coming sport that’s projected to grow and we hope to build this. If it’s going to create another opportunity for young women, it’s also going to help build enrollment,” Roesch said.

First-year Alaina Pundsack said she had experience with flag football in her senior year of high school.

“I played last year at my high school for their first season of it, and I loved how it brought together a community of athletes from different sports, and since it’s a newer sport, you’re all learning it together at the same time,” Pundsack said. “It was special to get to try something new with a new group of people. I was excited that they’re now offering that same experience [at CSB].”

After reaching out during the summer, Pundsack said she was excited when Anderson Diercks told her in the fall that they were going to be starting the team.

“I actually originally reached out to our athletic director over the summer because of how much I enjoyed playing during my high school season last year, and then I came on campus and she had reached back out to me saying they were going to start a team. I helped out at the involvement fair, and I think that’s where a lot of the interest came from,” Pundsack said.

Pundsack said she was excited when her former teammate and fellow first-year, Lily Ryan, said she was interested as well.

“She was my teammate last year so when I reached out over the summer, I copied her on the email and asked her if she wanted to see if we could get something going at CSB next year. When Kelly reached back out she went with me to meet her,” Pundsack said.

Pundsack emphasized building off the atmosphere that surrounds St. John’s football.

“Because St. John’s has such a strong football community already, bringing flag football to CSB can feed off that energy and make it a big sport here,” Pundsack said.