Bill Nelson helping Blue Jays figure out 'what it's all about'

Aug. 31—Bill Nelson knows what it is to need help.

"We've moved a lot in our family — in 12 years of marriage we were in 17 different places," Nelson said. "When people need help, I like being there for everyone."

In his last eight years as the head coach for the Jamestown High School football team, Nelson has worked hard to develop not only standout athletes but young men who are productive and community minded.

The Jays have become known across the state as a community-minded team, helping those in the Buffalo City with whatever they possibly could need.

"I honestly can't tell you how or when it started," Nelson said of the Jays' focus toward community service. "It kind of came out of nowhere. We just got asked to help one time and we have access to a lot of manpower so we can go really fast."

Nelson said that while no job is ever a definite "no," there are a few where the team specializes. The Blue Jays have provided the muscle required to move to multiple people in the community, including JHS head girls basketball coach Andy Skunberg.

"The JHS football players showed up with a great attitude and were ready to do all the heavy lifting for us," Skunberg said. "They did it with such so much enthusiasm and made moving a very fun experience. Their help and assistance allowed us to move our entire house in half a day and we were so grateful."

This summer, the Blue Jays did a whole lot more than load trailers and vehicles with boxes and furniture.

Nelson and the squad have done a record number of 25 jobs in a matter of three months. The group has carried out multiple moves and clean-outs, knocked out a chimney, leveled and screed the bottom of a pool and loaded a whole mess of hay bales.

"We've done some in the cold and some in the hot," Nelson said. "I've had a couple of jobs go on where I couldn't be there but other coaches stepped up. Coach Kroeber did one a couple of years ago where they loaded a huge amount of shoes into a U-Haul. Many hands make light work."

Even when Nelson has to pass on a job due to prior obligations, he still seeks the opportunity to help people out, calling upon his contacts at the University of North Dakota or North Dakota State University to provide those in North Dakota a little extra muscle and energy.

"Any job can suck if you are negative about it but if you can find the positive — that's good stuff," Nelson said. "We're all put here for a reason and you might as well make good on it."

The Blue Jays do not charge those they help, rather those helped are asked the question: What is it worth to you?

Many of those who the Blue Jays have helped provide donations to the weight room and Blue Jays' strength program. Nelson has also cashed checks that are made out to the football program. Other times, the kids are provided with a meal at the end of a workday.

Nelson said whatever the payment might be, the biggest thing for him is developing a group of kids that is others-focused.

"We're getting out and serving others," Nelson said. "It's fun to give and see other people's smiles and then the boys have that sense of accomplishment that they helped someone else. That's a really good thing.

"I could give you name after name of kids who have jumped in saying, 'Coach, I can help you!' I know of a young man who used to play for me, that when we would get hit with a snowstorm, he would go out and shovel driveways," Nelson said. "That's pretty cool stuff. That's what it's about right there."

Thanks to the donations offered, Nelson has been able to turn around and bless the community right back.

Four years ago, through a donation from the football program, Nelson organized what is now known as the Jim "Christ" mas Project — a program that gives gifts to underprivileged children in the Jamestown area during the holiday season.

"The kids were great," Nelson said in reflection of the first year of the project. "They came out, we had wrapping stations set up — figured out really quick which guys were great at wrapping presents and which guys were really bad at wrapping presents — it was great."

The next Christmas, Nelson opened up the program to all sports teams and the Blue Jay athletes wound up providing 260 presents to children in the community. In December of 2021, they doubled the numbers, giving out 500 gifts.

All of the gifts are given out by school counselors anonymously.

"It's all about helping others," Nelson said. "I am a firm believer that you should think about others before you think about yourself. These kids never walk away without something in their hearts — or their belly."

The A-Maze-N Clown Pumpkin Patch gives at least some of the Blue Jay football players a free meal almost every weekend during the season.

Beginning last fall, Nelson required each team member to work two 4 1/2-hour shifts at the pumpkin patch. All told, the kids worked almost 800 man hours, working in the fields, with the clowns or spending time with kids.

"One of our boys, every time he worked he wanted to do the corn maze, because then he would dive in like he was 5 years old and swim around in the corn with the little kids," Nelson said. "How awesome is that, that these kids are being good role models for little kids?

"We were still doing it during playoffs and there were so many people coming up and wishing us luck," he said. "It turned us into (an even bigger) family."

The Blue Jay football team will be back at the pumpkin patch this fall, continuing the tradition of developing themselves as caring and productive members of the community.

"I hope this team continues to worry more about the name on the front of the jersey than the one on the back," Nelson said. "Jamestown is a special place. They've got phenomenal kids and we've got great support and hopefully, we're just starting to touch (the surface) what we can accomplish, not just in football or sports, but in life."