Athletics

Esko Athletic Director: Chad Stoskopf 218-879-1909
                                          cstoskopf@esko.k12.mn.us
                                               High School Fax: 218-879-6248

Chad Stoskopf is at the head of the Esko Activities Program in Esko High School. This department has a rich tradition of success. In fact, in the 1930's one of the outstanding athletes in the state was Walter Maunu, who won the state high school high jump championship and was a star in all sports. In the late 40's an Esko football team gave up only one touchdown all season... and that was a fumble return against the offense. We had several undefeated football teams in the 50's and in 1955 our basketball team was the first from Carlton County to make the state tournament. Yes, throughout our history Esko has enjoyed success and for the past 30 years Esko has flourished, not only in the areas of sports, but also of speech, drama, band & choir.  Our basketball teams have won 7 of the last 8 section championships.  The boys were state champions and girls won 3rd place in 2014.  We are proud of our alumni, athletes, coaches, teachers, and parents that encourage all students to participate in our quality programs.

The Esko athletic department believes strongly in the benefits of participation in multiple sports.  We depend on 2-3 sport athletes to be successful and we actively encourage our students to adhere to this philosophy.  Different sports challenge athletes in different ways, and the skills developed through various training methods from sport to sport help craft well rounded athletes.  Equally important is the athlete’s exposure to different coaches and teammates which enriches their mental and emotional development.  We expect all coaches associated with our school to clearly communicate and show support in encouraging our athletes to be involved in as many sports as possible during their high school career.

Unfortunately, club coaches are constantly telling athletes that in order to play at the next level or to earn a scholarship; they need to specialize in one sport.  We believe that this is a poor choice for several reasons:

• While many athletes enter high school with a favorite sport in which they believe that they will excel, much can change over a few years.It is impossible to predict the physical development of a young athlete and their enthusiasm about a particular sport may increase or decrease.
• Many athletes (and their parents) are mesmerized by the idea of a college scholarship. The reality is that very few athletes, despite how much they specialize, have the physical ability to play at the college level.
• Virtually all of our athletes that have earned scholarships were multiple sport athletes for most or all of their high school years.
• Finally, there is something to be gained when an athlete excels in one sport but still is willing to put the time and effort into being a reliable player for another team.

The ultimate decision to participate in a sport rests with the athlete and his or her parents.  However, we will strive to educate parents and athletes about the benefits of multiple sports by sharing articles about this topic periodically.