University of Minnesota Athletics
Back to the Real World with Keith Ballard
6/24/2019 12:10:00 PM | Men's Hockey
Just in the past hour or so, Keith Ballard has been on the phone with fellow former blue-liners Chris Harrington, Paul Martin and Judd Stevens.
"It's a bond like no other," said Ballard, who tallied 100 points in three seasons with the Gophers. "I've played on a lot of different teams. Nothing comes close to the bond you have with your college teammates."
After winning two NCAA championships (2002, 2003) and playing more than 600 NHL games, the Baudette native is settling in to life after hockey.
That includes staying connected to old Gopher teammates, and getting to know new ones as well.
Gopher Hockey: What comes to mind when you reflect on your time at the 'U'?
Keith Ballard: The word "fortunate" is the easiest way to describe my time there. Being able to come in as a freshman with such an amazing group of leaders and established players and some of the all-time greatest Gophers – I was so fortunate to sit back, watch, and be able to chip in where I can. I think all of the guys my age would probably echo the same thing. Being a defenseman and having Jordan Leopold and Paul Martin to watch, those are two of the greatest Gopher defensemen to ever play. As an 18-year-old, for me it was just an absolute dream come true.
As far as memories go – winning. I was so fortunate to be a member of those two NCAA championship teams. To be a small piece of that was amazing.
Gopher Hockey: Why did you choose the University of Minnesota?
Keith Ballard: I always grew up watching Gopher Hockey and UND hockey, and those were the only two schools I wanted to visit. Just the environment, the chemistry of the team, the group, the culture – I knew right away that Minnesota was for me. One of my best friends growing up, Jon Waibel, was already on the team. We started playing hockey in Squirts together, so I thought that was a cool opportunity to be able to play Division I hockey together, too. Coming from a town of about a thousand people, that's not very common.
Gopher Hockey: Do you still talk to your old Gopher teammates?
Keith Ballard: Actually, in the last hour, I've been on the phone with three of them – Chris Harrington, Paul Martin, and I just left a message with Judd Stevens. Hockey has taken me a lot of different places and to a lot of different teams, but nothing will replace your college teammates. You're in the dorms and apartment together. College hockey is very unique and very different from pro hockey, because when you leave the rink, you don't go home to your families, you go back with your teammates. So you know everything about each other – sometimes probably too much, which makes for fun stories.
And for a lot of us being from Minnesota and a lot of us still living here, now you're seeing a different chapter in everyone's lives. We're having children and families. It's not the same 20-year-olds that were running around Dinkytown way back when. It's a lot of fun to see how everyone is and how everyone is changing and just being involved in each other's lives.
Gopher Hockey: What are you up to now? Are you involved with Ballard's Resort?
Keith Ballard: I help the Minnesota Wild with their Little Wild Learn to Play program. Aside from the odd summer jobs at the resort here and there, no. If you ask my parents, I wasn't the best employee. My parents have done such a great job with the resort. But it's actually my brother-in-law, Nick Anthony, who I played with at the 'U' for a couple years. He married my sister and they run the resort right now and they do an awesome job. People ask me if I'm going to go back and work there, and if you ask Nick, he laughs. And if you ask me, I don't want to screw anything up because they do such a great job.
Gopher Hockey: Do a lot of Gophers go up there to fish?
Keith Ballard: There have been a lot that have gone. Especially now as kids start to get older, there are family trips or father-son groups. There's a resort on the Canadian side and one on the American side – and there's really something for everyone. If you are diehard into fishing and you want to catch muskie, bass, walleye, then maybe the Canadian resort is for you. If you want to go out on a bigger boat in the big water, fish walleye, and jump in the pool after – then the main one on the American side is for you. There are areas for meetings if you want to take your company or clients up there for a work trip. On Lake of the Woods, you're getting world-class fishing just a couple hours away. It's hard to capture that anywhere remotely close to here.
Gopher Hockey: Do you think it's important to stay connected to the Gopher Hockey family?
Keith Ballard: It's so important. I've seen it more firsthand since I retired a few years ago. Just getting back into the real world, there are a lot of people that I know but I don't really know, but we're both Gopher alums. Everyone is more than willing to sit down and grab a cup of coffee or breakfast and talk and help people. That's been so important for me and I think it's something that needs to continue. There's so much good about Gopher Hockey and being a player and having that experience as a student-athlete. But it ends for everybody at a certain time, so to have a support group and people that are willing to help you and assist you in moving on with the next chapter of your life is so important. Regardless of how everyone's career has gone or didn't go, there's always the next chapter. We have a great group here. Just being able to seek each other out is very
"It's a bond like no other," said Ballard, who tallied 100 points in three seasons with the Gophers. "I've played on a lot of different teams. Nothing comes close to the bond you have with your college teammates."
After winning two NCAA championships (2002, 2003) and playing more than 600 NHL games, the Baudette native is settling in to life after hockey.
That includes staying connected to old Gopher teammates, and getting to know new ones as well.
Gopher Hockey: What comes to mind when you reflect on your time at the 'U'?
Keith Ballard: The word "fortunate" is the easiest way to describe my time there. Being able to come in as a freshman with such an amazing group of leaders and established players and some of the all-time greatest Gophers – I was so fortunate to sit back, watch, and be able to chip in where I can. I think all of the guys my age would probably echo the same thing. Being a defenseman and having Jordan Leopold and Paul Martin to watch, those are two of the greatest Gopher defensemen to ever play. As an 18-year-old, for me it was just an absolute dream come true.
As far as memories go – winning. I was so fortunate to be a member of those two NCAA championship teams. To be a small piece of that was amazing.
Gopher Hockey: Why did you choose the University of Minnesota?
Keith Ballard: I always grew up watching Gopher Hockey and UND hockey, and those were the only two schools I wanted to visit. Just the environment, the chemistry of the team, the group, the culture – I knew right away that Minnesota was for me. One of my best friends growing up, Jon Waibel, was already on the team. We started playing hockey in Squirts together, so I thought that was a cool opportunity to be able to play Division I hockey together, too. Coming from a town of about a thousand people, that's not very common.
Gopher Hockey: Do you still talk to your old Gopher teammates?
Keith Ballard: Actually, in the last hour, I've been on the phone with three of them – Chris Harrington, Paul Martin, and I just left a message with Judd Stevens. Hockey has taken me a lot of different places and to a lot of different teams, but nothing will replace your college teammates. You're in the dorms and apartment together. College hockey is very unique and very different from pro hockey, because when you leave the rink, you don't go home to your families, you go back with your teammates. So you know everything about each other – sometimes probably too much, which makes for fun stories.
And for a lot of us being from Minnesota and a lot of us still living here, now you're seeing a different chapter in everyone's lives. We're having children and families. It's not the same 20-year-olds that were running around Dinkytown way back when. It's a lot of fun to see how everyone is and how everyone is changing and just being involved in each other's lives.
Gopher Hockey: What are you up to now? Are you involved with Ballard's Resort?
Keith Ballard: I help the Minnesota Wild with their Little Wild Learn to Play program. Aside from the odd summer jobs at the resort here and there, no. If you ask my parents, I wasn't the best employee. My parents have done such a great job with the resort. But it's actually my brother-in-law, Nick Anthony, who I played with at the 'U' for a couple years. He married my sister and they run the resort right now and they do an awesome job. People ask me if I'm going to go back and work there, and if you ask Nick, he laughs. And if you ask me, I don't want to screw anything up because they do such a great job.
Gopher Hockey: Do a lot of Gophers go up there to fish?
Keith Ballard: There have been a lot that have gone. Especially now as kids start to get older, there are family trips or father-son groups. There's a resort on the Canadian side and one on the American side – and there's really something for everyone. If you are diehard into fishing and you want to catch muskie, bass, walleye, then maybe the Canadian resort is for you. If you want to go out on a bigger boat in the big water, fish walleye, and jump in the pool after – then the main one on the American side is for you. There are areas for meetings if you want to take your company or clients up there for a work trip. On Lake of the Woods, you're getting world-class fishing just a couple hours away. It's hard to capture that anywhere remotely close to here.
Gopher Hockey: Do you think it's important to stay connected to the Gopher Hockey family?
Keith Ballard: It's so important. I've seen it more firsthand since I retired a few years ago. Just getting back into the real world, there are a lot of people that I know but I don't really know, but we're both Gopher alums. Everyone is more than willing to sit down and grab a cup of coffee or breakfast and talk and help people. That's been so important for me and I think it's something that needs to continue. There's so much good about Gopher Hockey and being a player and having that experience as a student-athlete. But it ends for everybody at a certain time, so to have a support group and people that are willing to help you and assist you in moving on with the next chapter of your life is so important. Regardless of how everyone's career has gone or didn't go, there's always the next chapter. We have a great group here. Just being able to seek each other out is very
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