Ballard High School (Louisville, Kentucky)
| Motto: Home of Champions | |
| Principal | Dr. James Jury |
| School type | Public |
| Religious affiliation | None |
| Founded | 1968 |
| Location | Louisville, Kentucky |
| Enrollment | 1700 |
| Faculty | 200 |
| Campus surroundings | suburban |
| Campus size | 30 acres |
| Mascot | Bruins |
Part of Jefferson County Public Schools in suburban Louisville, Kentucky, Ballard High School opened in the fall of 1968 as a combined junior/senior high school. However, the original students were only in grades 7-9, and a grade was added each year as the building was expanded. This kept the school system from having to transfer upperclass students from other high schools after ties to another school had been established. The first class (consisting of the original freshmen) graduated in 1972. Ballard was led until the late 1970s by principal Patrick Crawford. The school currently contains grades 9-12.
In 1984 Sherleen S. Sisney, a teacher of History, Economics and Political Science, won the National Teacher of the Year award.
Ballard is a top academic institution in the Louisville metropolitan area and consists of students from all across the city. Ballard is recognized as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education. They were also the national high school academic quiz bowl champions in 1990 by winning the Panasonic Academic Challenge.
In Kentucky, care must be taken not to confuse this school with Ballard Memorial High School, the public high school that serves Ballard County in the far-western Jackson Purchase.
Athletics
Ballard has an oustanding tradition in the arts as well as a great band program. Ballard is also a Kentucky powerhouse in baseball, basketball, football and soccer. Ballard Baseball, Ballard Basketball, and Ballard Football have sent many athletes on to college and to the pro ranks.
Ballard has been run by longtime principal Sandy Allen who retired after the 2003-2004 school year. The principal as of the 2004-2005 school year is Dr. James Jury. The head basketball coach is Chris Renner and the head baseball coach is Greg Gilbert. The basketball team was the state runner up in 2003 and won the state championship in 1977, 1988 and 1999. The girls' Softball team is a perennial power and were the State runner's up in 2005. Several current Ballard basketball players are solid prospects such as Ra'von Lee and Antiquawn Beckham. Ballard simply has one of the top high school basketball programs in the nation year in and year out. Ballard's nine state Championships in soccer outnumber those of any other program in Kentucky (1976, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1993, 1995 and 1999).
Football
- Founded: 1970
- Conference: Class 4A
- Division: Region 3-District 4
- Home field: Crawford Stadium
- Uniform colors: Maroon, white, powder blue
- Helmet design: Maroon shell with "BRUINS" written on side in white with underline
- Athletic director: Steve Kinney
- Main Rivals: Eastern Eagles, Male Bulldogs, Trinity Shamrocks
- Coach: Mark Catlett
- Record: 228-158-1
Stadium
The current stadium of the Ballard Bruins is known as Crawford Stadium. It is located on the grounds of Ballard High School. Its maximum seating capacity is 6,000.
Trivia
The school has a history of senior-year pranks. Some of the more infamous ones was the 1980 loosing of a pig into the school hallways; more recently, a pair of seniors vandalized the principal's office and the famed mural hallway with eggs and whitewash, which was reported on the next morning's television news. Another notable prank had seniors sticking hundreds of plastic forks into the front lawn with a large sign saying "Stick A Fork In Us We're Done"
Notable alumni
- Lieutenant Commander Douglas S. Carter Sr. - United States Navy
- Jerry Eaves - former N.B.A Player with the Utah Jazz, currently Head Men's Basketball coach at North Carolina A&T
- Allan Houston – former guard for the New York Knicks
- Colonel Walter M. Herd - commander of special operations in Afghanistan.
- John Hillerich - President & CEO of Hillerich & Bradsby, a company that makes sports equipment including the Louisville Slugger baseball bat.
- Jill Hertzman - Professional Woman's Tennis Player
- Jeremi Johnson – starting fullback for the Cincinnati Bengals.
- Mark Jurich - former baseball star at the University of Louisville who currently plays for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans in the Atlanta Braves farm system.
- Jeff Lamp - former N.B.A forward drafted in the first round in 1981 by the Portland Trail Blazers
- Bill Plaschke - sports columnist for the Los Angeles Times and panelist on Around the Horn on ESPN
- Jeremy Sowers - former pitcher at Vanderbilt University and 6th overall draft pick in the 2004 MLB draft, who currently plays for the Cleveland Indians,
- Josh Sowers - former pitcher at Yale University and a 10th round selection in the 2005 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays, and currently plays for the Lansing Lugnuts.
- Richard Schmidt - Current Head Men's Basketball Coach at the University of Tampa. (Former teacher/coach, not a former student).
- DeJuan Wheat - former N.B.A Player and University of Louisville basketball star drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1997.