From: Jeff Febus (jfebus@calvin.edu)
Date: Wed Aug 27 2003 - 22:12:26 EDT
August 28, 2003
Calvin Announces Men's Athletic Director Shift;
Vande Streek New Head AD with Zuidema Moving to Assistant AD
The new school year is bringing a shift in the men's athletic director
position at Calvin College.
Beginning with the fall semester, Kevin Vande Streek will take the reins of
the men's athletic director position with current men's athletic director
Dr. Marv Zuidema will move into an assistant athletic director position.
Zuidema will remain at Calvin as assistant athletic director and as a full-time
Professor of Physical Education until January 1, when he will retire and become
an adjunct professor in the HPERDS (Health, Physical Education, Recreation,
Dance and Sport Department). As assistant athletic director, Zuidema will aid
both Vande Streek and, as needed, women's athletic director Dr. Nancy Meyer.
Vande Streek will become the school's seventh men's athletic director. He
will continue to serve as head men's basketball coach and will remain as an
associate professor in the HPERDS Department.
Zuidema has served as men's athletic director the past six years, taking
over from Ralph Honderd in 1997. In addition to Zuidema and Honderd, Dave
Tuuk, Barney Steen, Chuck Bult and Albert Muyskens have also served as men's
athletic director at Calvin. Bill Cornelisse is credited with organizing
Calvin's athletic teams from 1920-1935 but never received the official title
of athletic director.
During Zuidema's tenure as men's athletic director at Calvin, the men's
athletic program has captured national titles in basketball and cross country
and a combined 19 MIAA team championships. In addition, Calvin male athletes
have earned All-America honors 65 times during Zuidema's tenure. Prior to
taking over as men's athletic director, Zuidema served as men's soccer
coach for 36 years and the baseball coach and men's tennis coach for seven
years each. This fall, Zuidema will begin his 43rd year as a professor at
Calvin. Zuidema will also continue to serve the MIAA as the men's soccer
coordinator and secretary to the Committee on Athletics. He will also continue
to serve the National Soccer Coaches Association and the NCAA as a Division III
soccer representative. A native of Muskegon, Zuidema and his wife Virginia
have three children and eight grandchildren.
"God gave me a wonderful calling as a teacher, coach and administrator at an
education institution devoted to quality, Christian education," said Zuidema.
"It will be different not being out in front as much as before but the
program is solid and in good hands. Above all, we have tried to make athletics
at Calvin center on enjoyable athletic play, striving to win but realizing the
winning needs perspective, and exhibiting sound ethical and moral conduct
signals and virtues."
Calvin president Dr. Gaylen Byker expressed words of praise for Zuidema and
Vande Streek. "We certainly do appreciate the service that Marv Zuidema has
given to our athletic teams and to Calvin College," said Byker. "His
leadership has been sterling and a wonderful benefit to our teams and to the
college as a whole.
"I am also very encouraged that Kevin Vande Streek will be moving into the
men's athletic director position," continued Byker. "He has demonstrated
excellent leadership and administrative skills as a member of the HPERDS
Department, and I am fully confident that he will do an outstanding job as
men's athletic director."
Calvin HPERDS Department Chair Dr. Glen Van Andel also offered thoughts on
Zuidema and Vande Streek. "We are thankful for the years of service Marv has
given to our department," said Van Andel. "He has served the college well
in maintaining the philosophy that academics are the most important part of a
student-athlete's experience.
"He has also worked tirelessly to enhance facilities and equipment,"
continued Van Andel. "Year after year, he has found a way to get the most
out of our resources."
Van Andel too is excited about Vande Streek. "Kevin brings some new energy
and ideas to the table that will continue to move our programs along," said
Van Andel. "He has very strong administrative gifts that will allow him to
transition into the organizational part of the job well. He also knows and
understands the challenges of our athletic teams because of his many
experiences in coaching."
A 1981 graduate of Dordt College, Iowa, the 44-year old Vande Streek has held
teaching and coaching positions at Central Wisconsin Christian (Waupun),
Western Christian (Hull, IA), and Unity Christian (Fulton, Illinois) High
Schools, Northwestern College (IA) and University of Sioux Falls before taking
the men's basketball coaching position at Calvin during the 1996-97 academic
year. In addition to basketball, Vande Streek has coached the sports of high
school cross country, soccer, track and field, softball, baseball and
collegiate track and field and baseball.
Vande Streek earned a master's degree in physical education from the
University of South Dakota in 1986 and has completed an additional 30 hours of
sports administration and higher education courses at Michigan State University
and earned an educational specialist degree from the university. Vande Streek
has also directed Calvin's summer sports camp program over the last three
years.
As men's basketball coach at Calvin, Vande Streek has compiled a record of
141-50 (.738) that includes four MIAA titles, three NCAA III Tournament
appearances and one national championship. This past May, Vande Streek began
his first year on the NCAA Basketball Rules Committee. A native of Waupun,
Wisconsin, Vande Streek and his wife Vicki have four boys.
"An athletic director position is something I have always been interested in
so to have this opportunity is very exciting for me professionally," said
Vande Streek. "My interest in becoming an athletic director goes back to
when I was an assistant men's basketball coach at Northwestern College. I
shared an office with (Northwestern) athletic director Les Douma, and I learned
a great deal from him."
With the added responsibilities of the athletic director position, Vande
Streek will be giving up his regular teaching duties in the Calvin HPERDS
Department but emphasized that he will continue to pursue his coaching career
in men's basketball.
"I am fortunate that my new position will allow me to continue coaching
men's basketball and I look forward to continue in that role in the
future," he said. "The one thing that I will be giving up is teaching a
regular schedule of classes within our department which I will miss,
particularly the daily interaction with our students."
Vande Streek also recognized the athletic and academic excellence within a
Calvin athletic program that has finished among the top-25 of the NCAA III
NACDA Director's Cup Standings eight consecutive years and has also produced
over 40 CoSIDA (College Sports Information Director's Association) Academic
All-Americans over the last 10 years. "We have an outstanding athletic
program at Calvin that is first based on our Christian faith with an
educational purpose in mind," said Vande Streek. "That philosophy starts
with our president and continues with our coaches and student-athletes."
In addition, Vande Streek noted the leadership he is replacing. "I've
been fortunate to work at Calvin under the athletic director leadership of
Ralph Honderd and Marv Zuidema," said Vande Streek. "I'll definitely be
filling big shoes with the type of leadership they have provided. Both
individuals have been great examples for me."
-end-
Jeff Febus
Sports Information Director
Calvin College
(616) 526-6169 Office
(616) 526-8551 Fax
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