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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-December 2, 2003
Contact: John Johnson or Jack Roberts
517.332.5046 or www.mhsaa.com

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Dec. 2 – Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central High School principal Kathy Vruggink Westdorp, who has served as an enthusiastic and energetic teacher, coach, athletic director, game official and school administrator in the Grand Rapids area for over 20 years, has been named an assistant director at the Michigan High School Athletic Association. She will be phasing in with the MHSAA over the course of the 2003-04 school year.

In her position at the MHSAA, Westdorp will have responsibilities for the administration of several post-season tournaments, the development and delivery of coaches education programming, and significant administrative duties.

A West Michigan native, Westdorp is a 1976 graduate of Central Michigan University, where she participated in field hockey. Her educational career then started in the Grand Rapids Public School as a coach in girls volleyball at Central High, where she also served as an English and Physical Education teacher; and a girls track and basketball coach at Creston High. After eight years, she was named director of health and wellness programs for Grand Rapids Public Schools, where she had staff supervision and training duties, and authored grants and curriculum for the district.

In 1987, Westdorp returned to Creston as an assistant principal and director of athletics, where she administered the athletics and activities program until 1995, when she moved into an administrative position at Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central High School.

Westdorp first served as an assistant principal at Forest Hills Central, where she directed several academic departments, and supervised a variety of student extra-curricular activities. In 1999, she was named principal at the school, and implemented a number of new programs. While principal, Forest Hills Central was named a Governor’s Cup recipient from the State of Michigan for achieving academic excellence. Westdorp also remained active in athletic issues, co-chairing an athletic task force for the school district and serving as president of the Ottawa-Kent Conference, a league consisting of 41 schools.

As a game official, Westdorp has worked softball at the high school level and girls volleyball at the high school and collegiate levels.

Westdorp also holds a Master’s Degree in Secondary Education from Michigan State University, and has served as an adjunct professor in graduate studies at Grand Valley State University.

“Accomplished in so many facets of education in general and educational athletics in particular, an individual who is excited every day about working with educators and students, and so well-respected, Kathy Westdorp is indeed an excellent hire for this Association,” said John E. “Jack” Roberts, executive director of the MHSAA. “The skills she brings will assist us in many ways as we look to better serve our schools with enhanced coaches education and expanded post-season tournament opportunities.”

Westdorp is the second assistant director named recently to the Association staff, the other being Mark Uyl, the athletic director at Thornapple Kellogg High School in Middleville.

The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by over 1,200 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract approximately 1.6 million spectators each year.

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