In the past year, Lakeville football experienced a steep decline in numbers.

In third-through-sixth grade some levels decreased as much as 50 percent. Middle school declined from a total of three seventh grade teams and two eighth grade teams last fall to barely enough players for two teams per grade. High school teams experienced a similar decline. The numbers in ninth and tenth grade dropped from just over 60 to approximately 40. As discouraging as these numbers might be to Lakeville North head coach Brian Vossen, he wasn’t about to sit by passively and allow the mass exodus to continue.

Instead, he took action. 

On July 9th, Vossen sent a 1,068-word letter to every family in Lakeville with a child in first-through-eighth grade who played football in 2013. Shortly after he sent the letter, his efforts were rewarded.

Numerous people emailed him stating that they would sign up their son right away. Ultimately, Vossen couldn’t have asked for a better immediate response.

"The reaction has been very positive from people I have spoke with," Vossen said.

With concussions at the forefront of many parents’ minds, North’s head football coach presented the facts in his letter. Vossen explained how five players on the football team received concussions. He explained that only one of those five concussions actually happened during a game or practice, and out of caution, that player was held out of North’s state tournament game against Eden Prairie.

"I hope people read the letter and realize that there are dangers in every sport,” Vossen said. “Football gets a lot of attention because it is a full contact sport, but we happened to have more concussions without equipment than we did during varsity football games."

In Vossen’s opinion, more students are choosing too early to specialize in an individual sport. In his letter, Vossen included his belief that being a multi-sport athlete helps more than it hurts, even though, at one time, he believed the polar-opposite.

“Succeeding in sports has as much to do with learning to compete as it does with developing skills,” Vossen said. “An athlete that stands on the free-throw line while the opposing fans scream at him gets better at every sport he plays from the experience.”

While the intent of the letter was to inspire potential football players in Lakeville, current players such as senior, future Division-I linebacker Jesse Cardenas, were impacted as well.

“The letter showed how great of a man Vossen is, and how good his character is,” Cardenas said. “He truly cares about the athletes he coaches and a lot of athletes look up to him, myself included.”

But ultimately, Coach Vossen’s passion appears to originate from his experience as a Lakeville Panther.

“I had the privilege of playing for the Panthers years ago and cannot tell you how much of an impact it has made on my life,” Vossen said in the ending of his letter.  “I hope to get the opportunity to coach your sons someday and offer them the same.”