Getty Indianapolis Colts fans hold up a 'Believe in Blue' banner
For the fans of the Indianapolis Colts, it has been a tough year. On the season, the Colts have had two head coaches, three different starting quarterbacks, just four wins and are currently on a five-game losing streak. To say it has been tough for the fans of the Colts this season would be an understatement. For one Colts fan, this season almost got that much worse, but thanks to the Colts community and the charitable efforts of the wife of a Colts executive, that didn’t happen.
12-year-old Austin Severson received tickets to the Colts’ Monday Night Football game against the Los Angeles Chargers on December 26 as a Christmas present from his parents. While attending the game with his family, disaster struck for the young fan when he had a prized possession of his stolen: His official Colts football.
With the ball stolen while the family was getting food at the stadium concession stands, it was like the Grinch himself had swopped in to steal Christmas from the family. That is when the wife of Colts’ general manager Chris Ballard, Kristen Ballard, and a little Christmas magic from the Colts community, stepped in to turn that stolen football into a cherished memory for Severson.
A Tough Young Fan
Mirroring the Colts this season, Severson has had a tough year himself. According to reporting from Fox59, after a bad fall early in the year, Severson tore his medial collateral ligament and has been on crutches ever since for his recovery. On top of the MCL tear, the young Colts fan has been battling against a neurological illness as well. In the interview with Fox59, Stevenson’s mother, Amanda, talked about her son’s long battle with the illness.
“He was attached to the nebulizer for 3-plus months. We had over a dozen ER visits, three hospital stays,” Austin’s mom said.
With his recovery progressing along, the Severson family was able to get to Lucas Oil Stadium early, and with his football in tow, Severson waited patiently with his parents outside of the Colts locker room before the game where several Colts players graciously signed the ball for him. The family secured the ball with their possessions before heading to the concessions when the ball disappeared.
After having no luck finding the ball after checking with security and the lost and found, Austin’s mother turned to the Colts community for help by reaching out on Facebook. From there, her post was shared by concerned Colts fans until it made it all the way to Kristen Ballard, who took it upon herself to reach out and send her a message. Amanda saw the message a day later and reached out to Ballard without knowing who she was or her affiliation with the team.
“I didn’t know who she was and I called and then that’s how I found out who she was,” Amanda said to Fox59. “He (her son) knew the name, I didn’t.”
After a quick connection between the two, Ballard assured the Severson family that the Colts would take care of replacing the stolen ball.
The Ballards & the Indianapolis Community
The efforts by Ballard to help bring a young fan some joy should come as no surprise to Colts’ fans. Since her husband has been general manager of the Colts, the Ballard family has been extremely active in Indianapolis, giving back to the fans and their community.
The Ballard’s are big supporters of the Books for Youths Program, which partners with the Indiana Department of Child Services to provide foster children throughout Indiana with books, school supplies, and backpacks. To date, the organization has donated over 900,000 books to foster children. The Ballard family has gone on to even adopt two children from the Indiana Foster program.
It has been year of challenges Colts fans, but thanks to the Colts community and Kristen Ballard, this will be a year a certain Colts fan will never forget.
“Shout out to Chris Ballard’s wife Kristin Ballard,” Severson said. “Thank you.”