Teiken Academy Back in Session This Week

The second annual Teiken Academy returns this week at Moorhead High School.

The Teiken Academy takes place Aug. 12-16 from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Moorhead High School. The program expects to have 40-60 Moorhead High School football students from this coming fall’s ninth-grade football team.

The Teiken Academy is a joint partnership between Moorhead High School Athletics and Sanford Health. The Teiken Academy aims to enhance the development of ninth-grade football players at Moorhead High School both on and off the field. The academy will cover topics such as health and wellbeing, mental health, personal growth, communication, leadership and teamwork. The academy is possible through a generous gift from a local Moorhead family to the Sanford Health Foundation.

The sessions will include discussions from local professionals and feature topics such as mental health, physical health, time management and personal finance decisions. There will also be mock job interviews and mentor pairings to provide guidance and support for personal and athletic growth.

Hunter Pinke, a Wishek, N.D. native and former University of North Dakota football player, will speak to the student-athletes on Thursday, Aug. 15, at 10 a.m. In 2019, Pinke was injured while skiing. He suffered a severe spinal cord injury and a broken back after colliding with another skier, sending him into a tree. Pinke is currently paralyzed from his chest down.