TRUE TO HER SCHOOL

Ford displays all-around passion for Frontier community on diamond, as mascot

HAMBURG --- The days are long, but it doesn’t feel that way for Julia Ford. They’re packed from bell-to-bell, sunrise to sundown, but with activities she enjoys doing.

         Playing the contrabass in Wind Symphony and teaching kindergarten students how to speak Spanish are just part of how Ford expanded her horizons as a student in the Frontier Central School District. But it’s not only during school hours where the junior has made an impact.

         Ford is in her third full season with Frontier varsity softball, serving as its starting catcher and clean-up hitter, with an overall .520 batting average, five home runs and 58 RBI in 50 career games. Her efforts this season, including a career-best .571 batting average with three home runs and 19 RBI, helped the 13-5 Falcons earn the No. 2 seed in this year’s Section VI Class AA tournament.

         And Ford’s softball journey is just beginning. In December, Ford committed to continue her career at St. Bonaventure while earning a degree in biology with a concentration in pre-pharmacy with hopes of becoming a pharmacy technician in the future.

         Off the diamond currently, Ford has a strong presence within Frontier’s athletic and community events, too. Ford wears the costume of the school’s mascot, Freddie Falcon, expanding her spirit beyond the competition.

Photo courtesy of Ford Family

         “It’s been a dream come true, both aspects of that,” Ford said. “… It’s just so important to be able to prioritize the right things at the right time while still having room to have fun because these are your high school years. These are the years you’re going to look back and say, ‘Wow, I had fun.’”

         Ford has served as Freddie Falcon since September, a role historically assigned to a student government member or a senior. But entertaining the masses through the view of a mascot head has been one of her activities for four years.

         In seventh grade, Ford was asked by Jennifer Betz, the supervisor of the middle school’s “Character Club,” if she would be interested in being the mascot for a sixth-grade orientation. Ford accepted the offer, not knowing then that it would lead to her current endeavors.

         After taking what she learned from eight years of classes at Future Dance in Hamburg and from watching mascots like Sabretooth, Gritty and Youppi, the spark for Ford ignited.  With dances and the “up high, down low, too slow” high-fives, Ford became a hit at the orientation and has since expanded her opportunities, beyond appearing at Frontier’s football, basketball, volleyball and hockey games.

         Ford participated in the Frontier Falcon 5K and 1 Mile Fun Walk event at Frontier High School, primarily cheering on the runners. And during the holidays, Ford bought and presented candy to the school’s special education classes and delivered them in the Freddie Falcon costume, along with other in-school appearances at the Pep Rally and Homecoming in October.

         Through coordination with high school guidance counselor Michelle Lake and district athletic director, Jim Helmicki, Ford volunteers for as many appearances as she can. And it’s the connections beyond rooting for scores along with the community that Ford appreciates the most in the role.  

         “When I'm at the Frontier games mascotting or at different events, there's so many different people from different walks of life — athletes, coaches, teachers, supervisors, parents, players, fans — I'm interacting with all of them, and especially the fans,” Ford said. “… The best part about being a mascot is the way you make other people feel and it is a powerful tool that I have really taken advantage of these past few years.”

         Before Ford committed to Freddie Falcon, the mascot would make sporadic appearances at a Senior Night game or an occasional community event. But while other student-athletes have worn the costume in the past, Helmicki said Ford is the first underclassman to take on the role during his seven years in the district.

         With Ford’s eagerness to take on the role, Helmicki is excited to have her back next year as a senior. Her presence on the sidelines, as well as on the diamond, has made her a good representative for the school.

Shawn Turri/WNYAthletics

“I think Julia is just a natural leader,” Helmicki said. “You watch her on the athletic field, she’s very vocal. I think teammates look up to her. She’s always communicating, she embraces that leadership role, so I think it kind of transitions to this. She’s just got an outgoing personality and that’s what you need in a mascot. You don’t want someone shy and kind of just standing there. She goes above and beyond.”

Outside of playing the contrabass, playing and training for softball is the centerpiece of Ford’s spare time. As soon as Frontier’s season ends, Ford spends four times a week working with the coaches at Impact Fitness Systems in Hamburg enhancing her strength and increasing her speed.

Improving her hitting has also been a focus for Ford through each season. Ford worked with former Niagara University star Amanda Werth for five years, focusing on the mental aspect, before switching to Dave Wesolowski of 21 Outs, with making adjustments to her swing.

         “No matter how good you get, it’s important to be proud of yourself because it's hard to become better at something,” Ford said. “But there's always something that you can be doing better, and it's so important to try to fix that and keep elevating yourself no matter what, because there's no stopping point. There's absolutely no limit.”