Beedy Headed To Concordia

Article reprinted courtesy of Fargo Forum and reporter Chris Murphy.

MOORHEAD -- Moorhead's Sam Beedy is taking his managing talents to Concordia.

Beedy has been on the sidelines, benches and dugouts for Moorhead for the last four years as a team manager of the football, boys hockey and baseball teams for the Spuds. He made it official on Friday with a signing ceremony at the high school.

"It only seems fitting that we celebrate and show our appreciation for all that he's done," Moorhead athletic director Dean Haugo said. "He taught us a lot about how to do things right in life."

Beedy has Down syndrome. That is not how he's defined in the Moorhead community.

"He's an incredibly special kid," Haugo said. "He means a ton to all our programs and all our kids. He's just a kid that's just there and provided great perspective to all of us. He keeps things loose when they need to be, and he's also a Spud through and through. We are going to miss him."

Beedy will work in the dining hall at Concordia and volunteer in the athletic department as a team manager for whatever teams are in season. The focus will most likely be on the football, hockey and baseball teams. His talents were good enough for Division I, but Concordia felt right.

"Sam Beedy brings a great amount of experience and knowledge to the Cobbers," Moorhead football coach Kevin Feeney said. "Definitely see him as a multi-sport manager, way too many skills to offer for just one sport. Definitely had the ability for D-I, but Concordia just had the right feel, and he said he's looking forward to helping the coaches over at Concordia. Cobbers are lucky to have him."

While interviewing for the job in the dining hall around 30 Concordia students stopped by to say hello to Beedy. He's already known on campus before stepping foot on it.

"He's obviously been a really good friend to our kids," Moorhead boys hockey coach Jon Ammerman said. "The thing that he brings to us is he's always there to kind of lighten the mood. He's just a guy that creates a lot of memories, and we're going to miss him for that. He's always there and always smiling. Sometimes adults take themselves too seriously, and Sam has been really good about being there at the right time to put things in perspective."

After signing on Friday, Haugo saw Beedy in the training room with two of the Moorhead baseball managers. Haugo was a little late to Moorhead's baseball game against Brainerd on Thursday. There was Beedy, leaning against the fence, to tell Haugo how Jack Stetz opened the game with a homer and update him on all the details.

On Friday, it hit Haugo that the view of Beedy always being around is something he's going to miss.

"Sam has been a really big part of what goes on here," Haugo said. "He makes it all more enjoyable."

Little does Haugo know on Friday, after signing with Concordia, Beedy told his mom how he needs to go to more Moorhead Blues American Legion baseball games this summer.

"If the Cobbers aren't playing Sam will be at Spuds games," Sam's mom, Jackie, said. "He's going to miss them, but they won't be far."