David Ball (Menlo ’14) capped his career at Brigham Young with 9-5 doubles and 5-7 singles records as a senior during a shortened season. During his four seasons, he was a three-time co-captain and ITA All-Academic selection and was named to the West Coast Conference All-Academic Team.

David Ball and his Brigham Young teammates had just completed a sweep of Utah in early March when they received the news that the NCAA and the school were canceling the season because of concerns about the coronavirus spread.

It took some time before it hit him. He might have just played his final match. Ball said he thought about his teammates and many of his friends who were missing their senior season not only in tennis but in basketball, track and many other sports as well. Just a day after his season was cancelled, Ball came up with an idea. He talked with athletes around the nation, and they very much wanted to share their stories.

“As I first talked to other athletes at BYU, I realized that so many athletes had sacrificed so much to get to these points in their careers and it would be nice to give them some recognition and closure,” he said. “As I connected with athletes around the country, I realized there was a real need to tell these stories and provide closure for many great athletes struggling with the premature ending of their careers. In a time of confusion and darkness for many, it was nice to share inspirational messages and come together as a sports community.“

Ball created a platform to do so, and “Untold Athletes” was born. It started in mid-March and since, athletes from around the nation have told their stories via packages on Twitter and Instagram. Along the way, he talked with Menlo alum and Dave Finocchio, who co-founded Bleacher Report, a website devoted to sports and sports culture which was acquired by Turner Broadcasting System in 2012. Finocchio gave Ball advice on building a sports media platform.

“It was super special for me as I’m a big fan of Bleacher Report,” Ball said. “It’s special to be a part of the Menlo community.”

Untold Athletes is not limited to college athletes, as Ball interviewed his good friend and Menlo classmate Maddy Price, who is an Olympic hopeful for the Canadian national team in track and dealt with having the trials for the Seoul Games pushed forward a year. Months later, with the help of his fiancéee and former BYU soccer player Natalie Clark and friend Ethan Finlinson, they have told the stories of athletes and coaches whose voices might not have been heard and covered stories of those who have faced social and racial injustices, speech impediments, difficult childhoods, and major loss.

“When I started Untold Athletes, I always felt like it could grow to something bigger than just a platform for COVID stories,” said Ball, who graduated with a B.A. in philosophy, and now works in product marketing for Zoom.

“So many athletes around the world have unbelievably inspiring and compelling stories, even if they don’t compete at the professional level. Unfortunately, so many of those stories go untold. At Untold Athletes we’re trying to change that.”