The Vikings are looking to honor Dave Snyder’s legacy, including a lightning bolt on their uniforms.

The North Kitsap track and field team held its first practice of the season March 3, entering its first season without Snyder, the team’s former head coach. He died at the age of 54 while attending a football camp with the NK team at Central Washington University last June.

NK coach Ryan Ferenci noted the importance of continuing the high standard that Snyder instilled. “The overall mindset is to just continue on with the legacy that Dave has set forth before us,” Ferenci said. We want to “keep the team growing and eventually win a state championship.”

Ferenci mentioned that the Vikings would not change their overall approach and “keep things going the way Dave would have wanted.”

The mentality Snyder used was to keep the kids happy and have them feel loved and appreciated. Snyder, who was also a teacher, emphasized the importance of turning kids into great athletes and students.

The team has multiple goals it would like to achieve this year, with one of the bigger ones being athlete retention.

Ferenci said many of the kids who initially join drop out due to not qualifying to participate in many track meets. In an attempt to help rectify the issue, the team is hosting a few “soft meets” for freshmen and sophomores so they can have opportunities to compete. “We’ve done them in the past, but we have two lined up this year,” Ferenci said.

The team received its largest turnout ever on the first day of practice with around 150 students. Ferenci said that the turnout could be linked to large middle school programs, but ultimately believes it’s a result of all of the events track and field has to offer.

Meanwhile, Ferenci also coaches girls flag football for NK and has been talking to those players about joining. Some have never competed in track before.

Ferenci also said that track has a “very welcoming atmosphere,” and he tries to talk to kids in the halls that seem “quasi-athletic” and tries to convince them to come out for the team.

The Vikings don’t begin their season until March 15 when they will be competing in the Logan Relays at Bainbridge High School.

Ferenci encourages more athletes to join the team. “There’s just so many things that you never know what hidden athletes you have in your school,” he said.