Whitehall assistant superintendent/director of athletics CJ Van Wieren and North Muskegon athletic director Jeff Cooke join host Scott DeCamp on the final episode of Season 6 of the podcast Monday, Feb. 26, 2024.
Chris Wenk Real Estate is the title sponsor for the 2023-24 winter podcast.
Follow CatchMark SportsNet:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CatchMarkSportsNet
Website: https://catchmarksports.com/
Follow CatchMark Technologies:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catchmarkit/
Our Website: https://www.catchmarkit.com/
About CatchMark Technologies:
CM is a leader in Connectivity Services, Cyber Security Services in Grand Rapids and Whitehall
Yeah you guys ready to go I’ll have to go live and I’ll be a couple Seconds good morning everybody used to saying good afternoon but we’re doing this in a special time slot I appreciate uh the gentlemen that have that are here today with me I’m Scott de Camp uh host of The catchmark Sports Net podcast this is season 6 Already episode 10 final
Episode of the winter sports season um brought to you by Chris WN real estate of coldo Banker will Schmidt uh Monday February 26 2024 and boys basketball districts are K are tipping off tonight and their teams uh the guys we have here have received first round buys but without further Ado
Let’s introduce them we have North mosan athletic director Jeff Cook welcome Jeff thank you thanks for coming on yep and we have we got a long um intro for you just because you have so many titles you’re you’re doing now so we have assistant superintendent and director of
Athletics CG vuare in a boy Hall thanks Scott thanks for coming in absolutely now I know you guys have both been both really busy um because you’re involved in a lot of different ways with what’s going on at your respective schools but um just um it’s been a special ride I
Mean I can’t wait to dive into these topics and and everything but you know you’re looking at you got both your schools had nine and0 varsity football regular seasons both your boys varsity basketball teams 22 and 0 regular seasons that you just wrapped up last week on top of the other Athletics uh
Successes at your schools so um let me just I want to shout out our sponsors and then we’ll get rolling on this so thank you to bigstone therapies rescue 2.0 LLC griev law Edward Jones with financial adviser Brett Atkins Coldwell Banker Woodland Schmidt with have David dusenbury Farm Bureau Insurance the
Kenny agency five-star real estate Leaders with Matt Parker the birdh house shy Plumbing Heating and Cooling and greenity with Chris dyman Sarah real and then of course title sponsor Chris WN real estate col Banker will Schmidt he’s a local guy and uh you can connect with
Him he’s up in the new era Shelby area he’s he’s from this area so means a lot to him he’s a sports fan so perfect fit for our show and we appreciate his support and if you need help uh connecting with him for real estate
Needs just get a hold of uh get a hold of us we’ll help you out so we’re going to start right with the basketball Seasons CU that’s what’s going on now um last week North mosan and whiteall both wrapped up 22 and a regular seasons and
Either of you can chime in whenever but how amazing has that ride been it’s been I mean from our perspective it’s been great I mean credit to coach suben and his staff um those players they’ve put in the work they’ve put in the time um I think it’s our first regular season undefeated
Regular season since 6263 um which is that’s an accomplishment in itself so credit to those guys um you know the the first part of the season is done and and now they move on to the postseason but to go 22 and0 um what a great accomplishment I
Think it’s the same at North migan as um what we just heard um a lot of extra work a lot of um guys putting in extra time um uh Chuck ripstra has done a great job as far as being in the gym all the time whether it’s summer you know or
Now obviously but uh I I thought it was interesting when you said 62 or 63 because I think my dad was a part of that at whiteall back in the day um but this is North mcan’s first time to go undefeated in the season also I mean how
Does something like that happen I mean what what goes into something like that obviously you you played I’m played in college as well and you’ve played and you coach now still JV right so I mean what goes into something like that you can’t plan something like that right
Well just like way all we’re fortunate that we have some key people you got to have some good players and we’re fortunate that we do and um they work well together and um just it they kind of grew up together at North migan and um they’ve played together and
It’s just all moving for us right now and again having some key play players um helps on uh you know what Chuck wants to do when he’s um got the game going yeah and that’s that’s obviously yes uh you got to have good players in order to
Win games but uh you know on top of that you got to get lucky sometimes too um and and I think you look back on the season you find different games throughout the year and and they could have probably gone the other way whether it’s up in lington or at the Cornerstone
Classic there with ham traik um there’s a few games that could have gone the other way and then we’re not talking about an undefeated regular season so um you know you got to get lucky here and there too and but it but it goes to being prepared and uh putting in the
Work and and having those players that have that continuity playing together I mean these guys have played together for a long time so um there’s just a lot of different things that come in go into it and you come out with a win each time
And then as you go you never know um and you just keep winning and winning and then you kind of set that goal and your sights on that and make it happen so yeah now you talk about these games where sometimes you get lucky or just maybe get a break or something crazy
Happens you know the game that stands out for me for you guys North pegan is the Manu game now it wasn’t an insurmountable amount it was a two-point game you know with like 10 seconds left something like that but couple crazy things happened in the last 10 seconds
And you win in regulation right um just what we just heard it’s we got lucky because I think bigu pretty much led the whole day or game and right at the end we just had a couple things go our way and I think we ended up winning by one
Or two whatever it was so um just some things good breaks went our way and we got we were fortunate to win and you guys are really balanced too I mean I think the Hallmark of your team is it’s just so balanced obviously duger had a great second half of the Season he’s
Really kind of picked it up but I I wrote about that last week in the Icebreaker thing I go he he leaves and scoring but then it’s like three or four or five kids who are like right there we have a um if you were to ask me who’s
Your best player um I really wouldn’t wouldn’t know for sure um we have a number of kids that are all kind of the same we don’t have great height but yet we um play our Zone the right way and uh we talk and we move our feet and we do
All the things that we’re supposed to do on our um defense and uh um dner and um J James Young and um Berard and you know I could keep naming a number of them they all contribute in a certain way um and um Jack Jackson lazinski um it
Doesn’t matter who scores the most we all do our job whether that’s you know um rebounding or setting a good pick or playing defense or whatever you got to play it that way everybody has to contribute to have success it’s not just one person I think white Hall’s that way
With one exception you know obviously everyone knows Camden Thompson how special he is but then the guys around him they’re all you know they can all do a lot of different things on any given night oh yeah for sure it’s it’s always great to have a cam Thompson like player
On your team um you know what he does so well that a lot of people may may not notice is is how he distributes the ball and how he gets others involved and how he doesn’t press it all the time um but he can take over game too if if he needs
To so but you got guys like poer um can score with anyone um you know Kamar one of the best athletes there is around um you know Kyle Strat and his leadership he doesn’t have to score to impact a game um but he can score if he needs to
Um you know DJ can can get hot and shoot the lights out you got Tron Naylor coming off the bench first there that you talk about one of the best athletes around to and what he can do um so you know Brock’s been playing really well at
Times um so it’s just it is it’s the full cast of of players and you can’t just do these things you can’t go 22 and0 with just one player um and I think we all know that so um you know it’s uh it’s a great team that’s playing well
Together right now hopefully it continues so boys basketball District uh tip off tonight uh White Hall is going to be in the Orchard View District um they play the winner of the of tonight’s game between monteu and Spring Lake and the north mosan tips off you’re at Hisperia correct yes you play Wednesday
As well um both number one seeds your respective districts um is there an advantage to having to buy or is it sometimes do you wish you could just get get playing right away I’ll go it doesn’t really matter this year for us um and this is not to
Sound like it’s going to sound um it’s not a Powerhouse district and um it the play wouldn’t hurt us um but um getting the B doesn’t hurt us right now so um either way um I think chuck would you know is happy with what’s going on we
Just got to get to the end and win on Friday and if we get there which I think our chances are pretty good yeah and what what do you feel about it I mean you know we’re talking a Buy in basketball districts that is one night you know we’re not talking they’re
Taking a week off or something like that I think there’s some disadvantages if you had to take multiple days off but um you know we’re lucky enough to earn the buy so they get to go watch the monteu Spring Lake game tonight and see who they’re going to face and prepare for it
Um and so I mean I think it they earned it I think it’s helpful and what do you guys think of the seating the MHC does they seed the top two in the district you know I’ve heard people say well why don’t they seed the whole District why
Don’t they seed through the regional I don’t everyone’s got their opinions on it what are you guys’ opinions on it well the seating doesn’t bother me at all um I obviously I’ve been around for a little while and I’ve seen when the best teams face off on Monday night mhm
And that kind of takes a little bit out of the district so I like how they’re um kind of seed with that beyond that I don’t know I would I it doesn’t bother me put it that way I um I think there’s obviously advantages to it and um maybe
Some drawbacks but um for sure in the districts I think it’s a good idea to um have them seated and then uh um we go from there especially if you’re the host and the athletic director he’d like to see the last game the big game exactly
Yeah yeah I I think it’s definitely a step in the right direction like Jeff was saying I I mean I remember even in my playing days of when it was you just draw them out of the hat and you might get those F those two best teams that
Face off in the first round and I mean that’s the way it was this obviously helps that and hope to set up those two best teams playing in the final um you know I think there’s talk of seeding the whole thing which would I I I would be
In favor of too but I also don’t know you know how much of a difference it would make if they seated all of them right now how many districts would it change um would be interesting to see so any what are your realistic chances I mean what do you guys think about your
Respective team’s chances on going on a run like into the regional and who knows Beyond maybe well I think we have a pretty good chance um obviously districts and I think um uh the next round we have a pretty good chance also there’s obviously some better teams from Grand Rapids um
So I I don’t want to say oh yeah we got it and we’re going to go on because if you get that attitude then yeah you know then you might um not like what happens so I think just one um district and regionals and keep going that way um but
I think our you know we’ve got a pretty good team and I think we can go a little ways I think that Covenant win was a good one just to because that’s the type of team you’re going to see in a regional right that’s a that’s probably good yeah you know
They LED you know when we were there it was a great crowd it was packed and uh they let us for at least half the game and then we kind of you know got hot and they didn’t and things like that but um it was good for us because those are the
Kind of teams um down the road that we’re going to run in yeah and you guys you talked about your schedule you guys have played such a tough schedule too and uh you know Ham traic playing in that Cornerstone thing get seeing some different teams there going up to
Cadillac you know yeah you know one arguably your toughest game one of them right up there I’m just all those how much has that prepared this team do you think yeah I mean that’s the reason Christian did it um he wanted to schedule some teams that weren’t from
The area that were good competition and and test the guys so um you know hopefully it pays off we we know right now that we’re not looking past anyone because we’re going to have a tough one Wednesday night um whether it be monteu for a third time or you know an
Extremely well- coached Spring Lake team so one of those two teams is going to give us everything on Wednesday night and not looking past anyone um you know faster rewind back to last year and and an early District um loss and then you know some of these guys hopefully are
Fueled by a a district loss in football and and make sure that that you know stay focused make sure that kind of thing doesn’t happen but um Wednesday night’s going to be a test so I’m not I’m not trying to like throw anyone under the bus on this but as a coach how
Tough is it when a team’s really good and but you can censors danger if they’re not focused keep trying to tell them and tell them and tell them and tell them but it just maybe doesn’t seem to go through how scary is that as a coach I
Mean I know you’ve probably been that to too where you’ve had games where you’re like favored you think you should win it especially big games in the tournament or whatnot I mean that’s you can see it but I don’t know how you stop it right yeah I mean that’s the joys of high
School kids coaching high school kids um you got to try and get them to realize and make sure they’re prepared and make sure they come out and play hard yeah and sometimes the intensity just isn’t there because they think well we’ll get there and we’ll take care of them right away
And it doesn’t always work that way so as a coach I think you just gotta um keep reminding them and stay after them and um um if you don’t pick it up we’re not going on so you know you got to make that decision and in the 22 and no just
Puts a bigger bullseye on the back right and and we see it across all sports not just High School sports but you see it in the big dance and things that are coming up these upsets and things happen the other team has got nothing to lose
In a sense um and they just ball go away here there and and happens all the time all the time that’s why people love the dance so much right but let’s Switching gears to football obviously both of your schools varsity football teams went nine and0 in the regular season and we’re ranked
Number one as well um summarize that that that ride that was for you guys you got to the semi-finals lost to a nominee team that gave Luma Christie all it wanted in the finals Division Seven finals well obviously this year was special because we went N9 and0 and then
Um we Advanced further and we hav a long time um for football but it was a um a a season that was um yes we had some times where um just like we’re talking about basketball some of the games you had to make sure you get your guys you know
Focused on what’s going on and um I think for the most part our guys did a good job doing that and then um our big games you know I wasn’t like our playoffs were you know easy going um we’ve had some good games and um fortunately we got to um um where we
Were at and um just didn’t happen but again it was I give credit to the people that put in the time and the effort and attitudes were good so I think that’s a big deal I thought there was a North moson program or that team in particular
Um really grew in the way of like physicality the physicality the mental toughness part of playing against teams like Lon and P beat him in back toback weeks I mean those are pretty big statement wins right oh I I think so you know obviously we had had some talented
Players but uh I think um the kids put in time you know whether it was in the wait room or doing some Speed and Agility stuff or whatever they put in the extra time to hopefully get to that level and against P and L like you mentioned we ran into some teams that
Were like holy cow they got a big line and we did we did okay against them it wasn’t like we you know I don’t want to say we dominated no but but we did pretty good against did enough to you got to do and made plays in winning time
To and and came back in times when you’re facing a deficit against a team like that that’s been there done that yes yep then for you guys obviously great two-year run um Heartbreaker against South Christian last year I me along a lot of other people thought that could have been state championship game
Um returned quite a few guys had those hopes again um had a great season set records and then you know ran into a big a big rapids team which to me that night just felt like a perfect St storm maybe for you guys imperfect MH but where Big
Rapids played extremely well can’t take anything away from them they executed really well and you guys I didn’t think you played poorly you might think you did but um I didn’t think you played poorly it’s just one of those deals that they just kind of caught you at the at
That time yeah I mean you know you talk about back-to-back undefeated regular seasons um credit to those kids especially that senior class for what they did and what they accomplished for for our whiteall football program you know um that South Christian law stung um a lot of those kids that came back work
Their tails off all summer long um in the wait room with Coach Sigman um we’re prepared ready to go this year um you know go through the regular season undefeated again um and I don’t think we necessarily looked past Big Rapids in in hopes of a South Christian game the
Following week but but it’s possible um but you know like you said Big Rapids did everything right that night um and executed their game plan and and I actually I mean I know a few of those coaches up there and and they like they said they they wanted to slow it down
They wanted to to make it more methodical and and and they did that um they converted on a couple huge fourth Downs late in the game well they converted on them and then you had some opportunities make some plays on the other side like right away second half
Couple maybe pick six opportunities I mean it’s who’s making the plays and who’s not yeah so we didn’t make enough plays to win that night you know and and it and it hurts because we probably should of um and it was plays that we were making throughout the year um but
You know like we were just talking about with basketball that’s what that’s why you play the game um and you know Big Rap has beat us no and I I don’t know this is secondhand info here but I’d heard someone was talking to the Big Rapids coach and he didn’t feel good
Going the South Christian game just because not because of opponent South Christian’s tough yes but that maybe he sensing his team we already achieved what we wanted to achieve we’re done yeah and I don’t know if that’s true or not so please don’t you know right come
After me for that but I could see how that CU that does happen you you get a team like Big Rapids they that was maybe their Super Bowl that was maybe their big game because you guys beat them last year they played you tough for a while
Last year and the game you guys pulled away I don’t know if that just they’re like okay we we we got done what we needed to get done I don’t know yeah could be I don’t know so but um as far as uh those you look at football you
Look at basketball and you guys asked this off off camera and I’m going to ask you this obviously you had West Mission conference expansion that happened and you’re in different divisions now everyone used to play each other back in the day when it was eight schools now
It’s 14 um how much of it of you guys because North Ming and way Hall don’t play um on a regular basis in those Sports now and I know people are like well how come they can’t play you know they’re both undefeated and it’s like you can’t just schedule something that’s
Not on the schedule but what would you guys chalk it up to is it just because the schedules are you guys are different divisions and you schedule these things far far in advance football you play the teams that are in your Division and um you’ve got two Open dates and in our um
Both our leagues first game and the ninth game and um sometimes it’s just who you can get to fill those spots because they’re um you know like I know White Hall in the past few years has had to travel all over the state for some of their games because you know not working
Somebody around here and plus with all the point systems and all that kind of stuff everybody says well we don’t want that because it won’t help us that kind of stuff um so football um easier said than done um basketball maybe down the road we will um because
We play people in their league right now and um because that’s not going to that’s a little bit different dynamic in basketball than football too in a lot of ways right plus we got 22 games now right right I I think um maybe down the road whiteall north mosan um will get
Together but right now it wasn’t the right time and I know everybody says what you know you said as far as well they’re both on you know what if the you know Heights or why does anybody say why don’t we play mosan you know it’s just it wasn’t going to
Work right now and it wasn’t the right thing to do and maybe again down the road that’s something you know we’ll look yeah like you’re a division four school like in football mhm no matter how good that division 7 school is that’s not going to help you that much right you
Got more to a lot more to lose than you do to to gain right for sure for sure and you know I mean we’ve had such great games in the past I know um and Jeff could probably speak to that more but I’ve been around here for 10 11 years
Now and I’ve seen such great great games with North mosan and and sure the conference expands we don’t match up here we’ve had great uh great Seasons respectively and and people want to see that matchup we just had someone come into the back last week and ask if uh
The basketball teams could scrimmage maybe tonight um just to see but that that doesn’t matter to us um you know and and sure down the road maybe we get back together and we play in different sports and we do in other sports right now I know our girls are playing this
Week so it’s just it’s scheduling is is a whole another world and and to get teams on the schedule and and to be able to travel different places out of this region to see other teams in in the state um so it just didn’t work out the
Last couple years and and that’s kind of just the way it goes oh yeah you know I was just going to say you know like you had um said basketball there’s a little more room than there is football and Plus North mosan playing whiteall that’d be a big deal because we’re the ones
That are gonna you know you have something to gain there gain big yeah and that’s not a that’s not an offense or knock that’s just a reality right is yeah so but foot uh basketball you know again um for years we did and I used to be the
Varsity coach and we had great games with whiteall and I go back to not just their um facility they have now but what the junior high is is what we used to play at so um we had great games with whiteall and again down the road maybe
We’ll get back doing it I love that Middle School Florida that’s where this guy could jump and touch the backboard finally it’s a little springy springy I Could Touch the foam a little bit on layups but um so success in other sports because you guys it’s not like
You guys are a one trick pony in your schools obviously we talked about two sports already but if you look beyond the whole landscape of your Athletics um you know White Hall wrestling for instance just won another runner up in division three in the team finals and against a a team that’s nationally
Ranked I mean think about that it’s not we’re not talking State ranked we’re talking nationally ranked um you know they lost to dunde which no shame in that dunde competes with like the ls and the Detroit Catholic centrals and I mean you were down there for the weekend what
What’s that spectacle like and how proud are you of those guys such such great excitement um and you know credit Justin Zur up and his staff and and the the tradition that they’ve built now with this wrestling program you know that senior group you know we keep talking
About the seniors and these other sports the senior wrestling group is three out of four years that they’ve competed they’ve been State runnerup um I mean holy cow that’s that’s that’s awesome so um such great excitement like I said down there those team finals I first experienced it last year that was the
First time ever um and was definitely excited to go back and and support those guys because they deserve it um you know good run face dunde and and like you say you know you need a lot of things to go your way against a team like dunde in
Order to pull off an upset and it didn’t but um can’t take away from that accomplishment to be a state runner up for back toback years what was the spectacle kind of seeing white Jenkins you know seven months to the day after he suffered that neck injury at football
Camp uh which I mean I don’t if you were at that camp or not from what I understand seems like a fairly harmless type thing that sometimes people can get hurt on seemingly harmless things all the time be severe but you know I remember it and and and being at that
Camp and and Tony coming over and saying hey I’m going to take Wyatt to the Urgent Care um can you make sure that everything is good with the rest of the guys and it was like for sure you know precautionary to them in and and then as
I’m getting updates from Tony and and things that it’s a little more serious than what we thought um you know it was it was difficult it was very emotional for for other kids and for the coaches and stuff to see a kid go through that um so you fast forward seven months
Later to see to see him on a wrestling uh mat there Friday in the quarterfinal um you know there’s a lot of emotions that come back um super I mean the work that he’s put in to get to this point um is is incredible he was driven motivated
To get back on the mat um and he did and he he he wrestled so well this weekend so just proud of the kid proud of how far he’s come um looking forward to what he can do man I saw those pictures and they don’t lie no he’s been doing the
Work yes and where you wear a singlet singlets don’t lie either so I’m glad never had to wear one I will just say that so but um yeah so great stuff and then a really cool thing and this kind of snuck up on me even was North mosan
Competitive cheer they’re in the state finals now um you know four fourth place finish at Regional right yeah we finished fourth and um it’s been a few years since we’ve had any I think 20 some years since we’ve had cheer get back to this um North mosan at one time
Was I am bragging right here in competitive cheer we’re the only School in the West Michigan area that has won a state championship in cheer but either um even after doing that there was a few years we just lost year we never had it again and then about four years ago we
Started it up again and this year um fortunately um we’ve been able to uh get to the state finals and um just being there right now is a big deal for cheer and I think it’s you know obviously a um compliment to our coach and the girls
That have been putting time into it last couple years it was like har and Mason County kind of for for League carrying the league they didn’t make it in their division division three yeah we usually in our league um jam whatever they call jamere yeah um we would finish fourth but Scottville
Mason County and Hart those are you know they were to finish up um and I think whiteall is in the middle of the pack too and um that’s where we usually finish but fortunately um our regionals were at West Ottawa no West uh Catholic GR appens with Catholic and uh I think we
Got in by like a half a point or a point or something like that um so it it’s good to be able to head to Central to be a part of this this year with our competitive cheer and you guys are Friday right yeah Friday at 2 o’clock
Friday 2 o’clock and then ree puffer made it as well and they’re there Saturday I believe oh yeah so they made it as well to that to the cheer finals but you look at all these Sports you guys got but you like way Hall track North m baseball girls soccer I mean how
Are you guys so solid to good to great in so many different things it’s it’s credit to our coaching staff and the and the people that lead lead these student athletes so um across the board I think you can look at everyone of our athletic programs and and be proud of where
They’re at and and where they’ve come um you know girls golf was in the finals again this year um you know we’ve had success across the board and we’re excited for the spring to see where our track program goes but um you know it’s it’s these athletes putting in the time
These coaches leading them um and just providing the opportunity and the space for them to be be successful and and kind of see where they go it it seems like um just while you were talking I was thinking about um the sports it seems like a lot of sports both whiteall and North
Mosan like soccer or you know not so much track but um some of the baseball has always been good at whiteall a lot of the sports I don’t know if this we have in common that do pretty good yeah and um our girl soccer um obviously leadership big deal but we’ve had some
Good players just like we talked about with football and stuff like that but I think that’s it’s a real strong program right now and boy soccer was the same way we’ve had the same coach for quite a few years just like whiteall used to and
Um that’s a big deal and in baseball um for us even though and I know a lot of people are upset about it we don’t have a field this year but um we still have some good players and we’ve had some um people in West Michigan that are helping
Us out whether it’s w Kowski at um at Marshfield letting us play there or um being able to practice just practice over at Orchard View things like that um that’s obviously helped us out quite a bit but um just like CJ said what um having um the right people and then they
Get the enthusiasm and the kids interested um in being a part of the team and I think that’s you know there’s other sports that we have that have had some success too and again um it’s all part of um the effort and the time that
These coaches put in it it’s a big deal I think you’re speaking of culture yeah yeah I mean it’s it’s it’s the one of the greatest things about high school sports right is as a coach you are you have to play the hand your dealt you know you’re not it’s not College
Athletics where you can go recruit here and there and and get what you want or need you you get the kids um and sure when when you have success it builds program it builds tradition and I think we’ve seen that in so many sports um but then you get turnover in leadership you
Get new coaches and it’s all part of it and then you watch them build their program um but it is it’s one of the the greatest things about high school sports is um how you are able to take the the the hand your dealt and and turn it into
Success right even in um if you have a team you know that maybe doesn’t have what we have this year in some sports you still work with them and you’re um showing people what you know you can do as as a coach but the kids can still do
Even though they may not be Superstars or whatever they can still do some things that holy cow I didn’t know think he was going to be able to do that and those things show up down the road and I think again that’s you know a big deal
For us in a lot of things I think that speaks to a culture you guys were touching on and I think that applies throughout both your schools too with the offerings you have with the Arts with the academics obviously and just all those things TI together what do you
Say yeah north mosan um one thing that’s unique about our school is we’re just a team or two behind whiteall in the number of offerings that we have and sometimes that’s great sometimes it it’s a little bit difficult but um I I I think like with tennis or um we have
Kids playing right now we have um lacrosse and we have some things like that so we’ve got a number of sports we don’t host it we do a operative but there’s a number of things you can do at North mosan and again for the size school we have um sometimes I think it’s
You know what a great opportunity but then other times I worry about holy cow if we add that then who’s going to lose out so um we just been fortunate so far for you guys yeah I mean that’s you know we’re sitting here Jeff and I talking about
Athletics um but there’s there’s so much more to this right the the number one goal that we have for these kids is to get a successful education be be successful academically and then be prepared to do whatever it is next um whether that’s College Bound or to the
Trades or straight into the work field like we want you to be prepared um and and be successful so you know Athletics is just one of those pieces along with the Arts along with robotics and and the different clubs um it’s an opportunity for kids to participate in something and
Be engaged um and and studies show um students who are engaged who do participate in things outside of the normal school day are more successful academically um they’re they’re just simply more engaged in school um attendance is better um because they might have practice after school or
Whatever it may be so um you know our ultimate goal is to provide as many opportunities as possible um but knowing like Jeff said sometimes you you can you can get too many opport then you might not have enough to field one or the other so it’s being very
Careful and aware of that and but just to try and get these kids involved in something um so that they’re they’re not going home after school and maybe just playing video games or sitting on their phone yeah when I say I’m not able to field something it might not just be a
Varsity but somebody might have to drop their JV program or their freshman program things like that so um I I think uh for the most part we’ve done okay with that but everything CJ said that’s um I think it’s a big deal um because to be a member of something because it
Disciplines them that um you know they got to be a part of this to have some success yeah they’re part of something um one thing that I’m proud of here at catchmark is we’re trying to grow this um student Network we call them the Sports Nuts um we have Shayla Hardy was
There all weekend with her and and um down in cazu I was out ganting down in Florida with my wife it was her 50th birth birthday so we went down to Florida for a long weekend and but Shayla was phenomenal she was great you know she’s learning she’s a freshman you
Got to remember that she’s just turned 15 years old and she’s down here all these mats going on a lot of stuff goes on cover wrestling finals is not easy and she she did a great job and obviously CJ Bennett at North M there’s other kids at whall too there’s a bunch
Actually we’re getting more more and more all the time they’re getting involved and CJ Bennett from North mosan is just incredible in his own right just how advanced he is and how good he is at all these things he’s I don’t know if you’ve seen his photos as well but he
Just does a lot and he he stays really busy too oh you got a tech problem he’s the one he student call seriously you think he’s kidding but he he kind of had played a big part in their graduation live stream when he was a freshman right
For their High School live stream but one success story Emily vanders she’s a oage grad from last year she was at Hope College this year but she still wants has been covering stuff for us so so I had her cover the wayall oage basketball game Friday or Thursday and I said glad
To see glad you got to see White Hall and Oakridge again especially with the history Maj because I’m glad too today made me realize this is what I want to do so I’ll be switching Majors when I go back to school I just love it so it’s
Awesome that makes me feel good when for sure you can give someone an opportunity and they can be involved and and they want to keep carrying on with it right right and that’s the the thing you give them an opportunity to do something and and maybe they end up liking it and and
Making a career out of it or maybe they they don’t and they just appreciate the time that they they got to be involved right they’re part of the group then they might not play basketball or whatever but at least they get to be involved in and experience it
Nonetheless yeah you’re just trying to provide those like we like we said those as many opportunities as possible for a kid to make their educated decision at the end of it to say this is what I want to do this is where I want to go um and
And the more you can expose them to the better off we’re trying to grow that throughout the schools get more kids that want to be involved in that as well so if you guys know of any send them my way but you know the schools wh Hall and
North mosan being 11 miles apart um they’re winning everything it seems like um what what do you think about um I mean your neighboring schools essentially right so I mean what can you say about that specific geography where you’re getting all these good things happening all these good athletes good
Kids families I I don’t know if I get the answer for that but um I think one thing and I noticed it with basketball even though we’re not playing our kids know each other and it’s because a lot of the travel stuff they play and things
Like that so they get to know each other and I I’m picking on just basketball but there’s other sports that happens to whether it’s volleyball whatever they get to know each other so um a little success you know together then they can bring it to their schools I think
For sure well it sounds like so many of these kids have played together or played against each other and then it makes you kind of Wonder like okay you go back years ago when they first started playing against each other and I’m sure it was competitive um and and
How much those competitive games at a young age and um has built these kids to where they are today um you know and I think anytime you you have success in an area like that it’s it’s 100% credit to the athletes and the kids um but it is
Super cool to see um how they they’re fans of each other um they’re Snapchat and texting whatever going to each other’s games um following each other um it’s it’s exciting but you know I think one thing too is um you said 11 miles I think the way our conference um
You know it’s set up now where we do have a little more travel but the the way it used to be too whether it was White Hall or monteu Rana or Oakridge whatever it was you’re close it’s not like you have to you know up in the UP
Travel three hours to get to a game you’re 20 minutes away or whatever and I think that’s um a lot of people um I think they like that and plus they say well why does that school doing that and we’re not and so you know different
Thoughts go on so this was the second year of the expanded West Mission conference what are you guys’ reactions so far what you’ve seen just in general how it’s gone you know competitive balance just everything I I I don’t mind it I think it’s um been talked about for quite a
Few years and um I I don’t mind it I I do think um there’s some things and I wasn’t with the committee but they’re talking about um you know some different things that we’ve gotten through two years now we got to fix that or move that or do whatever
Those kind of things are happening I don’t mind the way it is um and there’s some sports that um the way our conference used to be where we had eight schools um you know you’re some schools it was just oh no we got to go play them tonight because we’re going to get
Smoked you know and so I think now there’s a little more balance and teams still get beat you know lopsided wins and things like that but I think there’s a little more balance in some things but there’s some Sports too that we still um we need to play whiteall whether it
Could be you know baseball softball tennis soccer whatever we still play upper schools so um I think that’s important I don’t know hope I answered kind question no and you know I mean I’m in my first year of of doing this and and credit to guys like Jeff and and the
Guys before me um you must be doing something right as a conference as a league if you can expand and you’ve got other schools that want in that want to compete with you and and that want to be a part of it so obviously the West Michigan conference as an eight Team
League a couple years ago was doing something right um where we were able to add six teams to it you know and and so now from there um we’re working as athletic directors and schools and principls and all those things of how do we continue to to make this league
Better um and so yeah two after two years we look at it we review it we might have some move movement um based on school size and that’s I was wondering if after was it after this year when you guys have when you like the okay always realigns not that you’re
Realigning but as far as divisions yeah it’s it’s looking at it before year three but nothing would change I think until after year four so um and and just trying to keep that competitive balance as close as possible so I think it’s been a great addition um to have those
Schools join us and and looking forward to to Great years to come mhm any uh any any word on any other schools that are coming in or any potential for that yet or is that kind of too early I think it’s probably too early at this point to
To tell so yeah yeah so we got the part that everyone’s been waiting for we want to know more about we want you guys to brag on yourselves about back in the Glory Days Holland West Ottawa for CJ North mosan for Jeff um what sports did you play what was your experience how
Good were you guys you want me to go you go first yeah got to remember when you said your wife was 50 assuming you’re right around there you’re you’re young and I I don’t feel it but yeah thank you um I’ve been around uh quite a few
Years and um um high school at North mosan good and bad and when I say that I’m talking athletically um did I have some success yes but back in the day if you were injured injuries to take care of stuff the way it is now wasn’t around there
Was no scopes there was none of that um so I had some knee problems and when you had a surgery you’re in the hospital for a week and you put a cast on and obviously um that stuff doesn’t happen anymore it’s just a whole different time
Back in the day but um I was fortunate to um um play against our people in our conference who I got close to after I um graduated and um when I became the a I worked um out of college um I worked at a YMCA in Grand Haven for eight years
And um what was cool about that was um I still was close to high school sports and a lot of the things I did at the Y are exactly I was a director and it’s exactly what I do now on some things so um that helped me out but one of the
Biggest things that I feel that I’m fortunate and again I’m going to avoid probably talking about myself but I’ve been able to work with and I’ll just I’ll say whiteall right now um I I think about this all the time whether it’s John heisinger or red Harris you know or Bob
Michaelson or Ron bakas those all guys I knew and um because my dad was involved with Athletics in schools and um you know whether it’s raana there’s I could name people or Oakridge or wherever I can name people that I’ve been so fortunate um as being an athletic
Director and I think about our conference right now and I go holy cow I’m I’m the oldest guy here except for Ken Diamond maybe but um I am and um just a turnover we’ve had but I think about everybody that I’ve um been able to work with is helped me out um with
Seeing the picture everywhere and you know how sometimes schools can be labeled um well those guys are rich or those guys are farmers or those gu and by working together I see a whole different you know picture of things and I I’m grateful um for that um as long as
I’ve been the athletic director well you’re looking good still so you got that going for you well I I try I mean I’ve had a lot of issues I I will say that about myself as far as my health I’ve had a lot of issues but I’m I’m
Working on trying to keep those um under control and you know I will say this too I I was able to um coach uh diversity level for a while and um some of the people I met along the way um I I again not just coaches but athletic directors
And then players at North mosan but also at other schools um I haven’t forgotten them and I I just feel lucky to be a part of all that well I got to throw one thing in I recall the days of you playing slow pitch softball with the
Likes of timy Jung and Dy Groot and if I remember correctly weren’t you sporting a mullet oh yeah yeah I did I did have them that and um but I I you guys just used to mash the Ballo like at the park in raana like
Up in the in the pine trees we did it was I don’t it was uh that was funny because in high school I had a um rival a rivalry Jean gford was the coach at Rana and some of the guys you just mentioned or Dave yoner and they had
Really good teams and um they weren’t my best friends but then soon as we got out of high school I we just all mesed and we became really good friends and the the softball stuff yeah we had some fun times and uh we did pretty good but it was but but
You’re right too because even I graduated 91 and it was that way then and as far as you couldn’t stand the the the teams you played against but as soon as you done with high school sports you started hanging out with them you’re like oh they’re just like us yeah and if
You went to like for me I didn’t I went to Central but at first I played basketball for Jean gford at community and um there I met and Gan was a um recruiter that recruited West Michigan which I thought was a pretty cool deal um back then and we had Rana we had
Shelby you know we had um noo we had different area teams that were all a part of it so I got to you know meet them a lot of guys and become really good friends with a lot of them um and again um I I don’t know if I’ve answered
Your question you have you absolutely and I I could you know blab on a lot of other people um but um I’ll just leave it at that see no but and I don’t want to hijack this but I think one of the reasons you don’t
Maybe you don’t see it as much now it’s because of social media kids know and travel ball they they know each other and they’re friends now they still compete but it’s just different now they don’t maybe look at each other as jerks when they’re playing each other right
Yeah I mean you still have those rivalries and when you play it’s you might not like the person but after the game we’re all in it for the same thing you know and and I just hit like like Jeff said you know the fortunate enough to play to play sports in high school
Fortunate enough to play sports in in college um the relationships and the connections that you make along the way um override all of it um you know and I I can think back to to to high school and and playing for some of the greatest coaches that I know and had the biggest
Impact on my life I mean Jim certa who was a Hall of Fame guy um coached me not only in football but and in in baseball and we want want a State title to stay title in O with with uh with that group so um you know Von Washington he’s down
Kazo now he was I knew V when I you know he was down at Kazo Central when I worked at C because I had a son V came through and covered him when he was in high school yeah and he was just a little fellow when when when Von was at
West AWA so um and you know and then like I said fortunate enough to go on I I got the opportunity to play two sports in college um not a lot of people get to do that but uh um you know with with Bill Saul who’s at Kelvin now as a
Basketball coach Cory Anderson those are two of my favorite people Jeff Pierce was a football coach um he’s since retired but so many Matt McCarthy was their offensive coordinator um he’s down at St Francis I think still um just those connections you make with the people that have such a big impact on
Your life as you grow up right is is the whole reason that I wanted to go into education and just impact people that same way yeah yeah and and then you I mean that’s not even talking about the relationships you you make with your peers fortunate enough I don’t even know
Jeff if you I I played basketball with Drew nck um we played on the Grand Rapid storm um you know and and got to follow along with that at a tournaments of every big name division one coach that there was um around you know because Drew was playing with we also like Kyle
Visser played at Wake Forest our team um so I mean that was that was a summer that I’ll never forget and probably because of those guys gave me more opportunity to to go play at the next level so um but those relationship I mean I got I got group chats with guys I
Played sports with in college that we talk every day um and you just can’t you can’t trade those friendships and relationships for anything and I think that’s what’s the best best part of of Athletics on top of being a well-rounded athlete you were a straight on kicker
Like straight square toe kicker yeah did that shoe went with you from West Ottawa to Ferris it did yes and you still got it right it’s still in the kicking shoe you know those old Kicking shoes yeah I know I remember was uh it it came it was
In the equipment room at West Ottawa um I think Jack Carlson could give the full details of that and he’s he’s still around down there but uh I I one of the practices at Ferris uh one of the coaches was like hey didn’t you used to
Kick um and it was like yeah I used to and well can you still kick well I don’t have my shoe and they kind of looked at me like what um so we did uh I called Jim certa and asked him and he overnighted it to
To Ferris and uh I put that thing on and you know even even some of the teammates had never seen anything like that so U I kicked in a couple games just did some kickoffs but uh took that thing with me and it’s in one of the equipment bags at
Uh at whiteall here so trying to get maybe cam Thompson to try that thing on for for next year maybe yeah I’ve got one of those things I was a kicker in high school that’s all I could do and I didn’t do it that well did it okay but
Not well it was square toe Lefty I was such a wimp in I School a bean pole that they just threw me out a kicker and all right so but yeah so that’s those are old school timy Jung I think had a square toe yeah shoe like that too I
Think back in the day so I went doubt it so that’ll wrap it up for our podcast you guys got any uh closing thoughts before we sign off on this thanks for having us today best of luck to you guys Jeff and your run here through the basketball season and looking forward to
Great success in the future same to you and I hope uh um some of the stuff that you know we both said said and especially me I hope it helped out you oh yeah absolutely a lot of stuff no it’s it helps out everybody you know we
We’ve been since we’ve kind of launched catch Mark sportset in 2021 we tried to make it we you know West Michigan conference um we do do a little work outside the conference we the goal is to expand eventually but we want to make sure we’re taking care of the West Miss
Conference and we appreciate you uh taking care of us and helping us out so yep one more shout out to our sponsors that’s bigstone iies rescue 2.0 LLC griev law Edward Jones with financial advisor Brett Atkins Coldwell Banker Woodland Schmid with David dusenbury Farm bre Insurance to Kenny agency five
Star real estate Leaders with Matt Parker The Birdhouse shy Plumbing Heating and Cooling green your jity with Chris tman S reel and then our title sponsor Chris wake real estate of Coldwell Banker will smitht that’ll do it for the winter uh podcast season uh we’ll see you around guys have a great week
Everybody What year were you at um West Auto I graduated in’ 03 okay that’s so I’m you play Grand Haven mhm um you know nor green who he was and sounds familiar yeah well I’m just thinking because when I was El
