Northfield teacher brings three daughters to Centennial Stadium milestones

Connor Berry, a social studies teacher at Northfield High School in Denver, has attended every major event for the Denver Summit since its formation. In his 11th year at the school, Berry first joined the faculty as a football coach before shifting his focus to teaching history. His classroom reflects both professional and personal interests, with walls covered in historical maps and posters for the Denver Broncos and the Denver Summit.

Berry became a member of the 14ers, the volunteer-led independent support group for the Summit, during the team's inaugural season. His initial connection to the club began at a watch party for the national team, where he was accompanied by his three daughters. At that gathering, he met other supporters who were organizing backing for the new Denver club.

"It's been really, really cool bonding experience and then when the team was announced, it was just like the excitement got ramped up," Berry said. He recalled that his daughters accompanied him to the groundbreaking for Centennial Stadium and attended the official announcement of the team.

Berry keeps photographic records of these events to share with his children in the future. "I’ve been trying to take pictures of every event we've been at, take pictures like framing my kids with the groundbreaking in the back, so that it's like 20 years from now I'm going to give you this picture and you're going to remember this," he said.

The team's presence is also visible among Berry's students. Many students in his class wear Denver Summit merchandise. Elizabeth Harrison, a senior at Northfield High School, plans to play soccer in college. She expressed enthusiasm about the Mile High area gaining a professional women's team.

"It was really nice to see all these people coming to support women and that women's sports are just as big as men, especially in the U.S., soccer is not as big as in Europe. It's becoming a lot bigger," Harrison said.

The Denver Summit is currently playing its first season. Home matches are scheduled at Centennial Stadium, with some games played at DICK's Sporting Goods Park. The 14ers will host a block party on Nov. 14 to celebrate the community they have built around the team.

Berry noted that teaching history allows him to observe changes and shifts in society. "Teaching history is amazing. The history of sports is amazing," he said. "Seeing all of that sort of change and shift and address is really, really cool."