Henning Happenings

Chad Koenen

A new scoreboard was officially dedicated on Friday night at Don Seipkes Field in Henning. The scoreboard is not only a great addition to a football field, but is another wonderful enhancement that we have seen in our community and school in recent years.

In addition to the new football scoreboard, which replaced one that occasionally showed the wrong score due to lights being out, new lights were installed at the football field and the large hump in the middle of the football field was scaled back a bit. 

A new asphalt track was also poured along the outside of the football field that not only can be used by students, but also eliminated the muddy mess that was a common sight at football games in years past. Prior to the asphalt the track was dirt and was frequently muddy when it rained outside. 

A lot of work went into making the new scoreboard a reality. It was a great addition to the field and lights up the entire end zone area. 

The project was spearheaded by Ryan Emter who contacted sponsors to help pay for a portion of the new sign and spent countless hours behind-the-scenes picking out different designs and making sure the project came to a reality. 

While he is quick to share credit for the project, Emter was really the driving force behind the scoreboard project and the one who helped to make it come to fruition so quickly. 

We want to thank Emter, the sponsors and the community for coming together to make this project happen this fall. It’s a reminder of how our community can do great things when we work together for a common goal.

In addition to the football field, a new scoreboard was put up in recent years at Tony Kawlewski Field. Much of the work for that was completed by Randy Misegades, a large donation by First National Bank of Henning, Ottertail and Battle Lake, as well as work by the Otter Tail Central baseball association. 

A new scoreboard was also installed in the gym a few years ago with interactive panels thanks, in large part, to Misegades and once again the bank.

Over the past few years we have heard a number of compliments about our baseball field and the work that the baseball association, volunteers and community has provided. I don’t think there have been very many nights this summer without a group of people gathering in Henning.

Now scoreboards don’t lead to success on and off the field. We had quite a bit of success on the field/court before we had new scoreboards, but they are a great way to showcase our community and show how much our town supports our youth. 

I have the privilege to attend games at a number of neighboring school districts since we cover athletic teams from Henning, New York Mills and Frazee. What I find ironic is a number of schools in our area are now beginning to replace their gym scoreboards to emulate the one already in place at Henning School.

Sports provide a sense of pride in our community and having great facilities is a wonderful way to showcase what our community can achieve and is all about.

Thanks to everyone who has helped to enhance our gyms, athletic fields and parks over the years. The work you have done hasn’t gone unnoticed and has been a good way to provide a positive light on our town.