Wayne Drehs

  (2:01 PM)

Hey everybody ... I'm here and ready to talk about the Barrow Whalers. Let's get right to the questions.

Robert (Green, Ohio)

How were you treated by the residents? Did they welcome you with open arms? What did they think of all the publicity (good and bad) they were going to receieve?

Wayne Drehs

  (2:03 PM)

The people up there were fantastic. They welcomed myself and our photo and video crews as if they had known us forever. People were constantly inviting us over for dinner, giving us caribou meat, on and on. They were great hosts.

Mark (Portland, Oregon)

This should be required reading/viewing of all high school US history classes going-forward! How uniquely American... triumph and will over tragedy in an amazingly diverse yet harsh social environment! Question: will the legacy of this team be carried forward? That is, when the dust settles over the permafrost, when the initial excitement of the sport inevitably wanes, how will the tradition be established and accepted?

Wayne Drehs

  (2:05 PM)

That's the million dollar question, Mark. I'm hopeful that my editors will let me go back to Barrow next year or perhaps in five years to see just what football's future will be in Barrow. The attendance certainly shrunk after the first game and Barrow is a very proud sports community where I'm not sure how well they'll understand any long term losing. It should be interesting.

Drew (Virginia Beach, Virginia)

How did you hear about this story and how long did you spend in Barrow with the players and residents?

Wayne Drehs

  (2:07 PM)

I heard about this story, believe it or not, in a passing mention in one of the random sports blogs I try to keep an eye on. I made a few calls, did some research and realized the piece had just incredible potential. I was up in Barrow reporting the story for about ten days, a stretch that covered their first two games. (Figures, they won after I left).

Walt, Des Moines, IA

With the limited supplies coming in and out of Barrow, how do the drugs get into the city?

Wayne Drehs

  (2:10 PM)

That's a great question, Walt. And I never quite got a straight answer out of people. It would seem to me that if you could control the airports, you could control the drug trade. But that isn't the case. Somewhere along the line, you have to wonder which of the good guys might be working for the bad guys.

Robin Koutchak (Barrow, AK)

Any chance that any pro football players might read the story and pony up some money for continueing the program ? Also, why didn't you expand your story a little more by showing the effect basketball has on the community ? Basketball is king in bush alaska - as I am sure you heard - and has a positive effect too...but obviously it hasn't been the magic bullet either... ps - we LOVED having ESPN here...we hoped it would be on tv as most of us have satellite or cable!!!

Wayne Drehs

  (2:11 PM)

Hi Robin ... good to hear from some of the great folks up there in Barrow. Who knows what sort of an effect this story will have. I know there's talk about trying to raise money to install an actual field with an artificial surface down the road. Maybe there's an NFL player reading this right now who could help with that. You never know ...

Cara, Ann Arbor

What was your first reaction to Barrow?

Wayne Drehs

  (2:12 PM)

Well, as you can see in the pictures, Cara, it isn't exactly a luxurious vacation destination. Your first reaction is sort of, "Where in the world am I?" But then when you realize where you are and you realize the challenges these people face to build anything, not to mention the winters they go through, it makes sense. And the longer you're there, you come to understand it isn't about what Barrow looks like. It's about the people.

Matt - Willowbrook, IL

Awesome job. My father and I spend time in Native villages fishing fro trout in Alaska. You did a great job showing some truly good people. Hopefully the football program will help the fight against drugs and alcohol.

Wayne Drehs

  (2:14 PM)

Thanks, Matt. This is the million dollar quesiton. And really, only time will tell if football will help this quaint little community down the road or not. We shall see ...

Matt (Willowbrook, IL)

High-School football is a great sport team sport that creates a unique level of friendships and commitment to one another. Did you feel that bond develop in a group of young men basically learning the game from scratch?

Wayne Drehs

  (2:15 PM)

I'm going to be totally honest with you, Matt. I didn't quite sense a great bond when I was there. But remember, I was there during the first two games, games in which the team really struggled. I'm sure getting that first victory and then going on a three-game in six-day, 3,000-mile plus road trip really brought these kids together. It had to.

Dan (Iowa)

Have the residents warmed up to football yet?

Wayne Drehs

  (2:16 PM)

"Warmed" up? Never mind ... that's too easy. Um, I'd say the reaction is still sort of mixed. Some of the folks in town love it and are convinced it's going to help their kids, others would bet everything they own that it's going to prove to be a colossal waste of money for the town.

Mike (Newark, DE)

First off, thanks for the excellent story, its nice to see a focus on the true small towns of America (even if they ARE north of the Arctic Circle). Were you able to find out from any of the transplants in Barrow as to why they'd moved there? I'd love to hear their stories.

Wayne Drehs

  (2:18 PM)

That's a great question, Mike. You know, people seem to head up that way for a lot of reasons. For some it's just a chance to get away. For others it's a way to make some extra money. The thing that surprised me was the number of people who had been up there for 15, 20, 25 years. People who thought they'd teach there for a couple school years, fell in love with helping these kids, and never left.

Eddie (Fresno)

Did anyone who was against having a football team ever hint at what they thought a better use of the money would be, or was it a case of wanting to throw the money down the same unproductive hole that was doing the youth of Barrow no good?

Wayne Drehs

  (2:19 PM)

Sure, Eddie. I talked to a lot of people who argued that the teachers were underpaid, the schools in the tiny villages outside Barrow were understaffed. Some people wondered if the district wouldn't be better served spending the money on extra counselors or after-school mentoring programs for the boys and girls. They had a lot of ideas.

Matt (Willowbrook, IL)

I also coach football. Huge challenge teaching not only an offense and defense to new players. Do you think the coaches had a greater challenge in the X's and O's , the fundamentals, or concepts like discipline and desire in relation to the game of football?

Wayne Drehs

  (2:20 PM)

From what I gathered Matt, the biggest challenges the coaches faced, especially in the time that I was up there, centered around getting their kids ready to play. Early on, they simply didn't grasp the level of intensity with which they were going to have to bring it so that they didn't get knocked in the mouth. But they learned quickly.

Hannah; Stamford, CT

Great story. This is what sports is all about. Not $200 million salary deals and sponsorships. It's about a new found love of a game that brings a community together, shows a group of vulnerable kids that preseverance, hardwork and teamwork can pay really pay off, and that winning isn't everything. Go Whalers!

Robin Koutchak (Barrow, AK)

Were you shocked at how nice the hotels and restuarants were ? What wildlife (live, not dead...) did you actually see and how did you feel when you saw them ?

Wayne Drehs

  (2:23 PM)

I stayed at the King Eider Inn. Very nice place. Only hotel I've ever stayed at where they made you take your shoes off at the front door. As for wild life, on one of my last nights, I actually got to see a polar bear, which I'm told only about 2-percent of the visitors to Barrow get to see. Very cool ...

Simone, Oregon

Does Barrow HS participate in other interscholastic sports? If not, will the success of the football program fuel interests in other sports?

Wayne Drehs

  (2:24 PM)

Absolutely, Simone. If I'm not mistaken, they've got cross country, wrestling and basketball. The basketball team is immensely popular.

Mike (Newark, DE)

I remember that after ESPN started their "Without Sports..." ads, they started selling "Nimrods" merchandise. Any chance Barrow could start selling some Whaler Football apparel? Could be a great way to raise some money for the school district.

Wayne Drehs

  (2:25 PM)

That's a great question, Mike. And if there's any e-mail I've been getting from readers today, it's people looking for T-shirts and sweatshirts. Heck, my boss even wants one. Maybe the district will start selling some merchandise to help raise money for football down the road.

Patrick (MN)

Will you be planning a return trip next year?

Wayne Drehs

  (2:26 PM)

We shall see, Patrick. There are some rumblings that we might go back next year to do a follow-up and to see how this team has changed this town, one year later. I can tell you one thing I'd love to do is go on a road trip with these guys, sleeping on gym floors and eating cold, greasy pizza.

Jeff (Charlotte, NC)

Any idea how I can get a hooded Barrow Whalers sweatshirt like the one Coach Voss is wearing in the 2nd photo accompanying Part 2 of your article?

Wayne Drehs

  (2:26 PM)

See what I mean ...

Tom (Wilmington)

It sounded as though many people in Barrow had been living off of the oil field dividends for some time. If those should completely dry up, what other types of work could support a family in that remote location?

Wayne Drehs

  (2:28 PM)

Well, even if they dry up, Tom, there's now talk about natural gas pipeline being a source of revenue. And remember, too, that Barrow is the seat for the entire 88,000-square mile North Slope, so they need electrical experts, engineers, fire personnel, all sorts of people to help support these communities.

Jeff (Charlotte, NC)

Does the school or the district have a website? I've searched and couldn't find anything. I'd like to get even more information.

Wayne Drehs

  (2:28 PM)

Jeff, if you run a google search for North Slope Borough School District, you should come up with the district web page.

Tony Wirt (Iowa City)

What does doing all this travelling all over the country do to your personal life? You must have a very understanding wife.

Wayne Drehs

  (2:29 PM)

Traveling is good, Tony. Gets me out of the wife's hair. Most of the time, she's so eager to get me out she helps pack my bags.

Max Bauer (New York, NY)

Do you know of the future plans of any of the football players? How do think it will affect the graduation rate? Is there much of a desire to leave Barrow among players? Is there any chance it can help get some of the players into college?

Wayne Drehs

  (2:32 PM)

It's a total mix, Max. You have kids who want to go to college, kids who want to stay in Barrow and follow their father's footsteps to eventually become a whaling captain. As for how I think this will help the graduation rate, I'm not real sure. Obviously only time will tell.

Robin Koutchak (Barrow, AK)

I am forwarding some of these comments on the sweatshirts to Trent Blankenship. The school does sell these clothes - they are very expensive to order. The school has a web site : www.nsbsd.org and that might be a good contact for those out there interested. And you can get out of Barrow by snowmachine, ATVs and Hummers to neighboring towns...you can drive on "ice roads" in the winter all the way to Prudhoe Bay and then down to Fairbanks (not for the faint of heart though).

Wayne Drehs

  (2:33 PM)

There you go, everybody. Thanks, Robin.

Brian Houston (Barrow, AK)

What a great article you did Wayne! The player's did bond on the road trip and the intensity level increased tremendously through out the trip!

Wayne Drehs

  (2:33 PM)

This is one interactive chat. Everybody, this is Brian Houston, one of the assistant coaches who you may remember from the story. He confirms that these kids grew together as the season went on.

Chris - Baltimore, MD

"...control the airports, controld the drug trade..." But are there even many airports up there. When i visited Alaska (albeit interior Alaska, no where near as far North as Barrow), it seemd that the most common mode of air transport was the bush planes that land in water or ice.

Wayne Drehs

  (2:34 PM)

Barrow actually has a decent-sized regional airport, where a pair of Alaska Airlines 737s land each day. So even though it's remote, it has easy air access.

Brady (Ames)

Regarding the graduation rate, it appears that most professional occupations are taken by transplants. Have they considered gearing some training toward making kids teachers, engineers, etc.?

Wayne Drehs

  (2:36 PM)

That's one of the big things that I was told Barrow hopes to do down the road. They need some of their top students to come back and teach there and help bridge the cultural gap between the teachers from the Lower 48 and the Inupiat students.

Greg-Port Angeles, Wa

Are there more injuries (muscle strains)due to the cold?

Wayne Drehs

  (2:36 PM)

Not really, Greg. I think the majority of injuries are just from a lack of understanding how to fall, how to take a hit, how to deliver a hit, etc.

Wayne Drehs

  (2:37 PM)

Alright, everybody. That's about all the time we've got for today. Thanks so much for all your questions and for all the great feedback. And of course, thanks to the folks of Barrow for allowing us to tell their story.