The Kimball/White Lake football team has its rallying cry for the season — “For Beau”.

KWL senior-to-be Beau Kirsch has battled heart conditions since childhood, and after recently suffering a heart attack, was told he couldn’t participate in sports for 12 months, said WiLdKat coach Ryan Skluzak.

To show their support, Skluzak ordered "For Beau" T-shirts for the team and they wore them at a recent football camp. Kirsch is currently at home recuperating from his heart problems. 

“What a way to build team unity and kind of build a new culture then to support a fallen teammate,” Skluzak said, “and somebody that wants to be there and was going to be a starter on offense and defense, and now for reasons that he has no control over, he’s had that taken away from him.”

The Kimball/White Lake football team recently wore For Beau T-shirts at a team camp in support of teammate Beau Kirsch, who recently suffered a heart attack. (Courtesy photo)

The WiLdKats sported their "For Beau" T-shirts on Thursday, which was the same day Kirsch returned home from the hospital. After camp, the team visited Kirsch and his family at their farm. 

“We just had a good moment with him and his family that day and we are going to dedicate the season to Beau Kirsch,” Skluzak said. “We are going to play for him and not that any team needs extra motivation to go out and win a game, but it certainly doesn’t hurt.”

Skluzak said Kirsch was in good spirits during the visit and he had a chip put into his heart to monitor it around the clock. 

“When we went in to see him — other than him being tired — you really wouldn’t know that anything happened,” Skluzak said. “It was the same old Beau. He was super happy to see everybody and super grateful.”

That same old Beau is a fixture in the Kimball and White Lake communities. On the gridiron, Kirsch played wide receiver and cornerback for the WiLdKats. He was a forward on the basketball team. 

Kirsch enjoys hunting, is active in the community and organized a card-playing club for junior high and high school kids during the summer. 

Kimball/White Lake cheerleaders are selling For Beau T-shirts for Beau Kirsch, who in support of teammate Beau Kirsch, who recently suffered a heart attack. (Courtesy photo)

“He would give you the shirt off his back in any situation,” Skluzak said. “He’s just a top-notch kid with a very deep faith and exactly what you want as a teammate. He will be there every step of the way as we go through the season. No doubt about it. Even though he won’t have pads on, he’s going to be a captain of our team and be a big part of the team.”

As for the "For Beau" T-shirts, there’s going to be an abundance of them circulating in the Kimball and White Lake communities. The Kimball/White Lake cheerleaders are organizing a fundraiser to sell "For Beau" T-shirts and money raised will go to the Kirsch family for medical expenses.

In a short amount of time, Skluzak said the T-shirts have already sold fast and it’s not a surprise given Kirsch’s personality and character. 

“I know how much support Beau would give any one of us coaches or his teammates,” Skluzak said. “So it’s pretty easy to do this in return for Beau and for his family. Because he wouldn’t even think twice about doing it for somebody else.”