Louisville Kings visit Ballard High School ahead of season opener

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Players from the Louisville Kings visited Ballard High School Thursday and gave students a behind-the-scenes look at professional football ahead of the team’s season opener.

Kings players met with Ballard football players after practice to share their experiences and answer questions about the path to pro football.

"It's a beautiful opportunity. It opens the door for a lot of family to be able to come to games and a lot of existing fan base I have from Western Kentucky to be able to travel down here to Louisville and catch some of these games," said Lucky Jackson, Kings player and Kentucky native. "So I think it'll be a great atmosphere and look forward to seeing some familiar faces after the game."

The visit also included trainers from Baptist Health Sports Medicine — the team’s official sports medicine provider — who discussed injury prevention and the demands of a full season.

Ballard is one of nearly 30 schools the group supports across Kentucky and Indiana.

Students who attended received free tickets to Friday’s opener.

The Kings will make their United Football League debut at 8 p.m. on WDRB against the Birmingham Stallions at Lynn Family Stadium.