October 30, 2025 • 4 mins
Chris Fritzsching, Executive Director of Football Education with the Detroit Lions joins us to discuss Touchdowns for Teachers, designed to celebrate and support outstanding educators.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Speaking of money well spent. That Aiden Hutchinson thing was
a good idea, but it's not just about big contracts
and wins and losses when it comes to the Lions.
This is West Michigan's Morning News. Steve Kelly, I see
Brett Makita. The executive director of Football Education is Chris Fritching. Chris,
thanks again for joining us on West Michigan's Morning News.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Appreciate having me. Thank you. So.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
I work with Chris a lot of the high school
football Coaches of the Week program. I'm on that voting
board along with Mick McCabe and others in the media
that you might know around the stating. Chris organized that
along with doing summer camps. We've talked to Chris about
for the youth around the state of Michigan, and Chris,
I wanted to start with this. I was thinking about
this morning with the Aiden Hutchson deal and everything, and
you've talked about it in our meetings when you travel
(00:44):
around the state. I mean the Lions you for you
right now. Who would ever thought it would got to
this point, But it really starts with the leadership and ownership.
Sheila Ford hamp then Dan Campbell gets hired Brad Holmes,
you know, guys like Aiden Hutchinson who loved Detroit and
loved the state of Michigan. It's just got to be
fun for you to go to work and represent this organization.
And then that's not forgotten by the fans and stuff
(01:06):
with the community outreach, like we're going to talk about
next that you guys do no.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
I mean, first of all, it's always been fun to
go to work with what I do to be able
to impact kids through the game of football and the Lions.
But but yet most recently it's been outstanding to be
able to walk in and knowing that each and every
week there we've got a chance to win that game
and win it big. And the excitement around the state
in terms of the uh, just the sheer number of
(01:30):
kids and and that are wearing Lions gear and going
into a school assembly, and and just the impact that
that winning has on not only the community but a state.
And it's been really neat to see. But you're right,
it does start with the ownership and Coach Campbell and
Brad Holmes and things of that nature, and it's energizing
to go to work, to say the least.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
So Chris is on his way. He's joined us to
a school assembly by the way today, And if you
go to Detroit Lions dot com and invite you to
do that for the news and everything to file the team,
but you also find out what people like Chris and
other people in the organization are doing. And this is
where I came across Touchdowns for Teachers. Talk about that,
Chris and what you guys are doing, because obviously teachers
(02:09):
that I know love wearing those line jerseys on Friday.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
They love where and we want to reciprocate by recognizing
all the dedication, the hard work that those teachers go
through in the classroom. So Touchdowns for Teachers is a
program simply designed to celebrate and support outstanding educators by
simply providing them with lines experiences and classroom grants to
enhance their teaching experience. So we've got a program that
where you can nominate a teacher that's made a significant
(02:35):
impact in the lives of an individual or a classroom,
and we want to recognize those. And so you can
go to Detroit Lions dot com and go to our
community page and if there's a teacher out there that
is deserving of that nomination by all means do so
we want to see teachers from all around the state.
We know educators make a huge difference in the lives
(02:55):
of everybody, and we want to recognize those individuals.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
And that leads us perfectly into the Detroit Lions High
School Coach of the Week program because a lot of
those coaches that you know, our educators, are teachers in
their communities and this week, I'm happy to say one
of those that I was proud to nominate along wiscont
to Camp and ended up winning the honor four week
nine is Brent Sandy of Hudsonville High School. And you
know this school in this community pretty well, Chris, because
(03:21):
they allow you to come and do you summer camps there.
But talk about your conversation with coach Sandy this week.
Who By the way, the Eagles finished off a perfect
nine and zero regular season last Friday night.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Well that's what impressed me about their season is that
they won nine to zero and that it's a gauntlet
of a schedule that they play, not only playing in
the Oka Red, but even the two non conference games
that they played in Week one and Week two, we're
against state finalists and the state semi finals from the
year before, and so I told them in our interview
this week is that I think that schedule sets them
(03:51):
up really nicely to be able to travel on to
possibly play again at Ford Field and Thanksgiving weekend.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Absolutely, and we'll see what happens this week as they're
in week one of the playoffs and they'll get Jennison,
their neighbor, and then maybe a Rockford rematch or Grandville
coming up in the second round. Chris, thank you so much,
and tell people what a coach gets real quick. Got
about thirty seconds left when they are honored as far
as their football and their program from the Lions.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Coach of the Weeks and our Coach of the Year
will be recognized down at Ford Field, and on December
twenty first, as the Lion's take on the Pittsburgh Steelers,
we recognize them and a guess we bring them down
to Ford Field, recognize them in game, and acknowledge them
in front of all the fans, because we not only
want to recognize them during the weeks during the of
the regular season, we want to recognize them to all
the people at Ford Field. Sixty five thousand people at
(04:40):
Ford Field of all the good work that they do.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Voice will be familiar to on Fordfield. Executive Director of
Football Education Chris Ritching, Thanks for your time again this morning.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Thank you,
Speaking of money well spent. That Aiden Hutchinson thing was
a good idea, but it's not just about big contracts
and wins and losses when it comes to the Lions.
This is West Michigan's Morning News. Steve Kelly, I see
Brett Makita. The executive director of Football Education is Chris Fritching. Chris,
thanks again for joining us on West Michigan's Morning News.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Appreciate having me. Thank you. So.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
I work with Chris a lot of the high school
football Coaches of the Week program. I'm on that voting
board along with Mick McCabe and others in the media
that you might know around the stating. Chris organized that
along with doing summer camps. We've talked to Chris about
for the youth around the state of Michigan, and Chris,
I wanted to start with this. I was thinking about
this morning with the Aiden Hutchson deal and everything, and
you've talked about it in our meetings when you travel
(00:44):
around the state. I mean the Lions you for you
right now. Who would ever thought it would got to
this point, But it really starts with the leadership and ownership.
Sheila Ford hamp then Dan Campbell gets hired Brad Holmes,
you know, guys like Aiden Hutchinson who loved Detroit and
loved the state of Michigan. It's just got to be
fun for you to go to work and represent this organization.
And then that's not forgotten by the fans and stuff
(01:06):
with the community outreach, like we're going to talk about
next that you guys do no.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
I mean, first of all, it's always been fun to
go to work with what I do to be able
to impact kids through the game of football and the Lions.
But but yet most recently it's been outstanding to be
able to walk in and knowing that each and every
week there we've got a chance to win that game
and win it big. And the excitement around the state
in terms of the uh, just the sheer number of
(01:30):
kids and and that are wearing Lions gear and going
into a school assembly, and and just the impact that
that winning has on not only the community but a state.
And it's been really neat to see. But you're right,
it does start with the ownership and Coach Campbell and
Brad Holmes and things of that nature, and it's energizing
to go to work, to say the least.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
So Chris is on his way. He's joined us to
a school assembly by the way today, And if you
go to Detroit Lions dot com and invite you to
do that for the news and everything to file the team,
but you also find out what people like Chris and
other people in the organization are doing. And this is
where I came across Touchdowns for Teachers. Talk about that,
Chris and what you guys are doing, because obviously teachers
(02:09):
that I know love wearing those line jerseys on Friday.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
They love where and we want to reciprocate by recognizing
all the dedication, the hard work that those teachers go
through in the classroom. So Touchdowns for Teachers is a
program simply designed to celebrate and support outstanding educators by
simply providing them with lines experiences and classroom grants to
enhance their teaching experience. So we've got a program that
where you can nominate a teacher that's made a significant
(02:35):
impact in the lives of an individual or a classroom,
and we want to recognize those. And so you can
go to Detroit Lions dot com and go to our
community page and if there's a teacher out there that
is deserving of that nomination by all means do so
we want to see teachers from all around the state.
We know educators make a huge difference in the lives
(02:55):
of everybody, and we want to recognize those individuals.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
And that leads us perfectly into the Detroit Lions High
School Coach of the Week program because a lot of
those coaches that you know, our educators, are teachers in
their communities and this week, I'm happy to say one
of those that I was proud to nominate along wiscont
to Camp and ended up winning the honor four week
nine is Brent Sandy of Hudsonville High School. And you
know this school in this community pretty well, Chris, because
(03:21):
they allow you to come and do you summer camps there.
But talk about your conversation with coach Sandy this week.
Who By the way, the Eagles finished off a perfect
nine and zero regular season last Friday night.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Well that's what impressed me about their season is that
they won nine to zero and that it's a gauntlet
of a schedule that they play, not only playing in
the Oka Red, but even the two non conference games
that they played in Week one and Week two, we're
against state finalists and the state semi finals from the
year before, and so I told them in our interview
this week is that I think that schedule sets them
(03:51):
up really nicely to be able to travel on to
possibly play again at Ford Field and Thanksgiving weekend.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Absolutely, and we'll see what happens this week as they're
in week one of the playoffs and they'll get Jennison,
their neighbor, and then maybe a Rockford rematch or Grandville
coming up in the second round. Chris, thank you so much,
and tell people what a coach gets real quick. Got
about thirty seconds left when they are honored as far
as their football and their program from the Lions.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Coach of the Weeks and our Coach of the Year
will be recognized down at Ford Field, and on December
twenty first, as the Lion's take on the Pittsburgh Steelers,
we recognize them and a guess we bring them down
to Ford Field, recognize them in game, and acknowledge them
in front of all the fans, because we not only
want to recognize them during the weeks during the of
the regular season, we want to recognize them to all
the people at Ford Field. Sixty five thousand people at
(04:40):
Ford Field of all the good work that they do.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Voice will be familiar to on Fordfield. Executive Director of
Football Education Chris Ritching, Thanks for your time again this morning.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Thank you,
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