NDSU Guides

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Much more
than a big game

Meet Max.
He is five years old and attends preschool at NDSU’s Center for Child Development. When he was only six months old, he underwent a complicated procedure to repair a congenital heart defect, and on January 6, he celebrated his “new heart birthday” with a trip to Frisco, Texas, for the championship game.

He likes to cheer “move those chains,” and is a big fan of the Gold Star Marching Band. While in Frisco, some of the band students heard about this and got him a special pass to join them for their practice on the field.

His favorite instruments in the marching band are the tubas, and he does a pretty mean air tuba to demonstrate. What did he think of the whole experience? “It was fun,” he says, as wise five year olds do.

Max is the son of Bobby, NDSU athletic trainer, and Nikki Knodel, a faculty member at NDSU in athletic training. He is a proud big brother to Kate, who is one.

Max Knodel with Kyle Emanuel, former NDSU player
now with the San Diego Chargers.

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