The 29/1
Official Podcast of the West Ottawa High School Athletic Program. 29 Sports, One Team. The show that brings you into the lives of student athletes, coaches and other faces in the Panther Sports Community. Bringing you the stories you might otherwise never hear. Join Rodney Vellinga and Athletic Director Bill Kennedy as they dive in with you to get to know each other a little bit better.
The 29/1
The Athletic Long Game with Lifelong Panther Kristy Jernigan
The 29/1 welcomes Kristy Jernigan on this week's episode, the first female principal in West Ottawa's history to ever have played Water Polo! Kristy’s unique connection to the school started with her father’s role as Athletic Director, and she fondly recounts childhood memories that shaped her path. From a humorous belly slide at a Michigan State basketball camp in front of Magic Johnson to her father's influence on her understanding of grace and leadership, Kristy offers listeners a personal glimpse into how she learned to lead from those who guided her.
The conversation navigates the vibrant West Ottawa community, focusing on the complexities of fostering meaningful connections within a large school environment. With a dedicated heart, Kristy aims to ensure every student finds someone to connect with, even among the 2,214 students and combined 225 teaching and support staff. As she balances her dual roles as principal and parent, she shares the joys and challenges of nurturing her daughters' sports interests and her love for cooking. Her message is clear—active involvement and communication with the school community are key to creating a supportive environment for students and families alike.
Listeners will also hear Kristy’s reflections on the lasting impact of athletic participation, celebrating the life skills gained through sports and the transformation of West Ottawa's facilities that promise memorable experiences for all students. Kristy’s enthusiasm for the community spirit is infectious as she relives the excitement of high school sports and the camaraderie that binds the West Ottawa family. As the episode wraps up, a sense of belonging and shared celebration resonates, cementing the idea that through connection and support, we all rise together.
This episode was recorded on November 21, 2024.
Podcasts now dropping at 5pm every Sunday evening for that late weekend chill, or listen Monday AM during that morning commute or workout. Please like, follow, subscribe, or leave a review. Even share with someone who might like to listen. Thanks for taking the time to get to know each other a little bit better. The people who make West Ottawa Athletics what it is. Go WO!
Special thanks to Laura Veldhof Photography.
I got to. One time at one of the Michigan State basketball camps they needed a volunteer to do a belly slide and I was like eight years old. None of the big dudes would volunteer to do it. So I have technically done a hit the floor in front of Magic Johnson. So you're welcome.
Speaker 2:Oh, there we go, there's a nugget.
Speaker 3:Hey everybody, this is Rodney Valinga with the West Ottawa High School Athletic Program and you're listening to the 29.1 Podcast 29 sports, one team, the show that brings you into the lives of student athletes, coaches and other faces in the Panther sports community, bringing you the stories you might otherwise never hear. Join myself and Athletic Director Bill Kennedy as we dive in with you to get to know each other a little bit better.
Speaker 2:There are sports fans and former athletes hidden among us.
Speaker 4:Today we sit down with West Ottawa principal, Christy Jernigan. Christy is a lifelong Panther and bleeds the black and white, serving the community that helped raise her.
Speaker 2:She couldn't be more excited to talk about today's student athletes, the challenges they face and the wonderful contribution they make in the West Ottawa community, Christy Jernigan coming up next on the 29.1 podcast.
Speaker 4:Let's get it.
Speaker 2:Hey everybody, welcome back to the 29.1 podcast. It's nice to have you on board for another round of the show. We are actually on the road today, outside of our normal studio. You'd think we might be downtown in New Holland or somewhere else in town, but we are not. But we are in the administrative offices today.
Speaker 4:We're in the principal's office Principal's office.
Speaker 2:We're just sitting here watching the snow fall and trying to stay out of trouble. At least I am. Today's guest has been a part of the West Ottawa culture for the entirety of her life. She was only marginally good at sports during her time here at West Ottawa those are her words, not mine but she really enjoyed being a part of teams and connecting with teammates. You'll find her at many sporting events cheering on the Panthers, and she truly is a bit of a sports maniac, big sports fan and it's my privilege to ask who is it.
Speaker 1:Hello everyone, it's Mrs Jernigan. Hi, I'm Christy Jernigan.
Speaker 4:Awesome, First female principal in West Ottawa school history. A mom, a wife, daughter, sports fan. She's been a teacher at the high school, elementary school administrator, high school administrator Unbelievable and the daughter of one of our one-time athletic directors a guy that I get to fill his shoes. Now I don't know if I can ever fill Gary's shoes, but I'll try. Maybe let's start off right there. What was it like having a dad run the athletic program at West Ottawa Like how old were you in? This kind of part of your life was happening.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so, um, we did so. I've been here for most of my life not completely all, I suppose. We moved here when I was in sixth grade, um, so my dad could be the 80 and my sister and I were both athletes, so it was really nice having him be our athletic director, because he kind of got to watch us do our sports and so it was really really a neat thing and it just it started my love for sports, started my love for West Ottawa and yeah, it's really really good. So he was um 80 for about four years, I think, and then moved to being an assistant principal here and I just know that, like he's the reason why I've wanted to do the things that I have done.
Speaker 2:You were able to probably tag around with him a lot Something. Your dad was an administrator, you were a student, you're an administrator, your daughters Yep. What was it like just for you being little and tagging around with your dad. Does any fun memories come to mind?
Speaker 1:A fun memory I mean we were with him all the time when he was at West Ottawa Fun memory of just being like a kid following a sports dad. He was a varsity basketball coach in the Lansing area when I was in elementary school and so it's kind of cool All those guys get to kind of be peripherally involved in like Michigan State basketball and so and he knew Judd fairly well so I got to one time at one of the Michigan State basketball camps they needed a volunteer to do a belly slide and I was like eight years old. None of the big dudes would volunteer to do it. So I have technically hit the floor in front of Magic Johnson, so you're welcome.
Speaker 2:Oh, there we go. There's a nugget, the unexpected story.
Speaker 1:No one asks me to do that anymore because I would break something, so it's not.
Speaker 4:Well, I mean, yeah, what school did your dad coach at?
Speaker 1:East. Lansing. Okay, yep, yeah, and then from there he went a couple other places really quickly, but then came here. Yes, yeah.
Speaker 4:Did having a father in administration as you were a student affect the way that you approach being an administrator with girls in the building?
Speaker 1:Yes, I think when he was an administrator, and then same thing for my sister. He became her principal and he's done all the jobs. It was really important to me as a student to. I knew everyone was watching and I think my girls feel that maybe way too right and so I never. I wanted to be a really, really good role model for other students because I didn't want to let my dad down, and I know that my girls probably feel the same way. Even though I know they're not perfect, they're going to make mistakes. They would never let me down, no matter what. But it was something that was kind of on my mind when I was a student of an administrator and I think maybe that's probably on their mind too. It also just gives me perspective of grace for all parents as the principal. Like nobody's perfect. No one's kid is perfect and my kids aren't perfect and your kids aren't either.
Speaker 2:So we can have those tough conversations and I can have it as a mom, not just I feel so much better now about my high school days when you said that I was like I just relaxed, my shoulders sunk. That was nice, thank you. I appreciate that. You have been a listener of the podcast right from the beginning. So first of all, to people who are listening, we always wanna just thank you you specifically, and thank you, christy, for listening to all the podcasts so far, at least parts of them. Now, when we were on the phone, you said you might not listen to this one. How come?
Speaker 1:I hate my voice, you do.
Speaker 2:Well, we could fix that, we could change it around.
Speaker 1:Let's do it Go ahead. Hello, oh, I like this one.
Speaker 2:So you can listen. You don't have to worry about it, but that is like not as intimidating as it could be, so maybe we'll try this instead. Hello, this is a principal's voice. Yeah, you do not want to come here now. People homework done beyond time, so anyways, we can have that that kind of fun all day. I think I turned it off. I hope I did.
Speaker 1:I think at this point I'll stick with the original. We'll stay with the original.
Speaker 2:All right, so you might listen now. You know when we talk about this podcast and what we're trying to do with it. I know you and Bill know each other well. Yes, okay, you guys work together and you have a pretty good relationship that way. But when I think of you and me, or you and I I'm not sure which one it is we're like a perfect example of what it's like not to meet people here. Yeah, right, and it's so hard because it's such a big school. How many kids we got? 2,500 ish 2,200.
Speaker 2:All right, so 2,200.
Speaker 1:2,214.
Speaker 2:There we go. How many teachers in the high school?
Speaker 1:So we have 160 certified staff, 225 ish when you talk about all staff.
Speaker 2:So did you like, is it hard for you? Like, do you ever wish that you could connect more to the wider community because it's just so hard to do? Like it's hard to talk to everyone, right yeah?
Speaker 1:it is, and I absolutely it bothers me that there are families that I don't know, that I haven't necessarily ever met before, but it's just, it's so big and we are so big that you do have to rely on your team. You know, you talk about me and Bill being close. We're both members kind of our bigger like administrative team, um, and it's my hope, though, that if I can't know every single family, at least maybe every single family knows one of us, so that we can work together kind of my goal is that every student knows who their person is in this school.
Speaker 1:Um and so if it can't always be me, it's it's got to be somebody, right, but it does. I encourage people come up and talk to me. I for sure I grew up, this place raised me. I feel incredibly indebted to serving this community, and so I love meeting people and new people and talking to families and getting to know them on a more personal level, and just being part of the community, too, is really, really important to me. Being part of the community, too, is really, really important to me.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I would say I feel the same way, Even when you boil it down to just athletes. There are a lot of athletes that I'll pass in the hallway and I recognize them from the court, but I'm not going to remember all of their names. It's just too many. But I would encourage parents if you're out and about at events and you see me around, feel free, Come up. Yep, let's have a chat.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I am a parent, so I just encourage all the parents out there too like, go up and talk, I'm going to call you Christy. Go up and talk to Christy. Go up and talk to Bill, like they're more than wanting to get it right. It's so enriching. You are not just an administrator, you're a parent, and you're a parent of students and you're a parent of athletes. Your daughters, riley and Corey, are both athletes here. I'm sure you've organized the food at least once.
Speaker 1:I have not, but I need. To All right, it's on now. Yeah, and it comes down to kind of like that talking to piece. I think people don't want to. I don't know. I don't know if they want to bother me or what, but I absolutely want to be a team mom and do the food and the breakfasts and everything. I want to be a part of that culture too. Try to as best as I can be.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because you like to cook too. That's one of your favorite things, one of your detoxes, right?
Speaker 1:I do. I love to cook Saturdays. When I've got the time, sundays, I will cook big meals and try new things.
Speaker 2:The tangible relaxation of cooking as opposed to being an administrator at a high school very different from each other.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we were talking about that where my results often slip the long game. Right, I'll, I'll see results, positive results on students four years from now, when they're graduating and walking across the stage and there is nothing like that but cooking also like you can get the results right now.
Speaker 2:And that's fun. What sports do your girls do here?
Speaker 1:Maybe talk about them for a couple minutes yeah, so they both play golf and tennis, um and I. The cool thing about my daughters is that they are complete opposites of one another their personalities and I think that makes them almost closer, because there isn't a lot of competition um and uh, but they do play the same sports and I will say that a couple times out on the golf course this year, I think maybe the younger one beat the older one and it's a little bit of a it starts to happen.
Speaker 1:Maybe just once or twice, and it didn't happen very many times, because they're both very competitive but also at the same time, there isn't competition amongst their personalities. It's kind of neat to see.
Speaker 2:What are some of your favorite memories of your girls playing sports? Anything stand out.
Speaker 1:Oh, tons, tons. One of my favorite was so golf is weird. I love sports, I love watching sports, I love being there. Golf is sort of a sport where it's hard for parents to watch and I was like Get your steps in.
Speaker 2:You do get your steps in.
Speaker 1:Exactly, and so I came to one of their matches and they were both mortified because I don't think any of their parents were there at that one.
Speaker 2:Mom seriously.
Speaker 1:It was, it was this happened to be, was it three fires? And so they were crossing each other, and so I got lucky where I was, in the spot where I could see both of them.
Speaker 1:One perfect parenting placement Very important at sporting events yep, yep, um and but so they were just a little embarrassed and I tried to play it off as well I'm here as a mom and the principal and they were like not buying it. So it was just a fun memory because they're I kind of like to embarrass them and the sports that they've played.
Speaker 4:They have been introduced to some of the best people as far as coaches that I have on my staff right To be able to play golf with coach cutter and coach Hevlin, and then tennis with Pete and his staff some of the very best that we have and there's going to be a little change on the girls golf side, but I'm real excited about it and it's you know another teacher here at West Ottawa is going to take it on, so Murphy is going to take it on.
Speaker 4:Yeah go ahead and talk about that. Reed Murphy is going to be our new girls golf coach next fall and Coach Cutter is going to stay on as his assistant to kind of guide him and coach him up.
Speaker 1:Good job. I love Reed. He's awesome.
Speaker 4:And I was talking with Reed about his golf game. I said so what kind of stick are you? And he said his handicap is .15. So I think he's pretty good.
Speaker 2:That was my GPA at one point, but that's another story.
Speaker 1:I do have to give a shout out to Coach Cutter. Yeah, he is an important person in my life. He was a teacher at West Ottawa when I was there. He also knew my dad when they were here together and just a guy. When I was a new teacher here he was in the South building second floor with me and just a real kind of like my school dad. And so he's a he's an important dude.
Speaker 1:He's got a wonderful personality and he's a good mentor and a good person and he still comes and visits me when he's in the building for girls golf. I'll just see him, like outside my door. He he still comes and visits me when he's in the building for girls golf. I'll just see him like outside my door. He'll just come and say hi and I love that.
Speaker 2:That's so nice. Well, you were a little kid yourself at one point. You were one of the kids that played sports and grew up here in West Iowa playing sports. What sports did you like in middle school?
Speaker 1:I know. So in middle school I was one of those kids that did everything. I played basketball, volleyball, ran track, did all the things that you could in middle school, like I said, I feel like I'm every kid, like I was a mediocre kid athlete in the best of ways. Not everybody is going to go to college and play D1 or D anything, right. Most of our students are involved in athletics because it's really good for them and they want to be part of the community and they want to have a lot of fun. And that was me right. So in middle school I tried everything. And then high school, I played basketball for a couple of years. I ran track. There were kids that were behind me, there were kids that were in front of me. I was smack dab in the middle. I ran the two worst races that you can. I ran the 400 and the 300 hurdles.
Speaker 2:Oh, that is tough.
Speaker 1:Let's just run as far as we can, as fast as we can, and jump over stuff too.
Speaker 2:Oh, that is tough.
Speaker 1:Let's just run as far as we can, as fast as we can, and jump over stuff too. And then my most fun, my most fun as an athlete myself was I did. I fell on a hurdle, I hurt my knee, my doctor. That was not the fun part. My doctor asked me he wanted me to do a water sport to strengthen my knee. And so I tried water polo my senior year. I had so much fun. It brought out some type of aggression that I never knew I had. And if I had, had I known how much fun it was, I would have played.
Speaker 2:You were ferocious underwater, huh yeah.
Speaker 1:I loved it. I'm not a great swimmer, so there was that. I was definitely the slowest, but I played whole because I could tread water like nobody's business. Once I got there, I just got to stay and then, you know, try to drown girls. That was so much fun, that was my whole job.
Speaker 4:I loved it. Water polo is one of those sports that, even after a number of years watching it, when the whistle blows, I have no idea what's happening.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's really hard and it's hard to know, like, what got called and why. It's a little bit easier when you're in the pool to to know what's going on, but it also is a lot of flailing and survival.
Speaker 4:Was. Uh, was Jack Carlson the track coach when you were running Coachy? He sure was I still call him coachy.
Speaker 1:He was yeah, yep, I um very first practice, uh, freshman year, I I you know I wasn't conditioned, it was freshman year and I came up to him I was like coach, I think I'm gonna be sick. And he kind of like looked around. He's like right there, like pointing to a spy, like if you're gonna get sick, go ahead and do it there. He called my bluff. I did not get sick jack man there's.
Speaker 4:Uh, that is so jack is really. He is my father at West Ottawa.
Speaker 2:Really.
Speaker 4:He's the same age as my dad. He has a lot of the same mannerisms, talking points, phrasing that he'll use.
Speaker 1:No way.
Speaker 4:And so it's been a lot of fun to get to know Jack over the years, and I love when he comes into my office.
Speaker 1:He is such a great guy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's really cool. Yeah, for you as a young person. What did being involved in athletics do for you as you look back in a long-term view?
Speaker 1:Long-term view. That's interesting. I like trying new things and challenging myself, and that's what it did for me, especially that one year in doing water polo I didn't know any of the rules, I didn't know what to expect. I just showed up and I was terrified the first practice. But it taught me long-term how to believe in myself, how to be determined, how to be competitive, how to try new things and know that what's the worst thing that's going to happen I'm going to fail and I'm going to be okay. And it turns out that when you try new things, you mostly don't fail. Mostly, if you stick to it, you can be successful.
Speaker 4:We talk a lot in the athletic world. We talk a lot about failure, and right now that is one of those things that I think our kids in general struggle with the most is failing and being able to get up off the mat and just go right back at it and use fail as a learning tool rather than or I'm out.
Speaker 1:Failure is a life skill. We talk about being a college career and life ready. Failure is a life skill. You are not going to go through the entire. You know, when I'm 99 years old and I'm looking back on the rest of my life, that has hopefully been this awesome journey.
Speaker 2:No Alzheimer's in your family. If you're hitting 99 and looking back, yeah, like a positive approach.
Speaker 1:Positive approach, yeah exactly my grandpa used to say he was gonna live forever. I was like so maybe not, but 99 for sure.
Speaker 1:Um, and what were we talking about? Oh, we were talking about failure. And I I want to look back and feel like, man, I have some stories, some cool stories, and you don't get those unless you put yourself out there, unless you try new things and you're not afraid to fail. And when you do, you learn lessons every single time. And so I kids, try new stuff, don't be afraid to fail, like you're going to do it. You are going to fail many times in your life and that's okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you see a lot of uh I'll put it this way you see a lot of people who are successful and are at the top of their profession, which I'll put you at Okay. So from an outsider, looking in, you're like, oh man, they must've killed it their whole life, right? They're always confident, they're always achieving, they're just getting everything they want. It's never that road. When you sit down and talk with somebody, you know you got your failures, you got your challenges. You probably had times where like, well, should I do this or shouldn't I write, a little self-doubt creeps in, but you keep moving forward and you do it and you take the step forward, and that's really the story of a lot of people who are successful.
Speaker 4:Well, I'm 100%, christy. You mentioned earlier middle school and trying all the stuff. Like our middle school athletic program is exactly. It's built for that reason. Right, there's four seasons instead of three, so kids can try all of these different things and kind of find what it is that really is going to drive them. Um, and failure is a big part of that. At the middle school level, right, you've never played basketball before, but I made a basketball team and, oh, and, I'm not very good, but I'm just going to keep going.
Speaker 1:Or maybe I'm not very good and I find where I could be better and I'm not very good, but I'm just going to keep going. Or maybe I'm not very good and I find where I could be better and I'm going to. You know, try to make a goal and work towards getting better. Right Like it's, you find, you find your way and through that failure, and every single failure has, and everything single mistake that kids make has a silver lining.
Speaker 2:For sure. You graduated West Ottawa in 1998.
Speaker 1:Don't do the math, but yes, that's another century. Sorry.
Speaker 2:Sorry, christy Jernigan, I'm the oldest in the room, so you know you guys can just make fun of me if you're feeling bad about your age. You graduate in 1998, you went off to Michigan State right. So you were there. Yeah, you were there for four years and then you did some. You did some other things. Were you involved in sports there? Did you like being a fan? What kind of stuff did you do sports-wise, athletically-wise, when you were on campus?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm a huge Spartan. I love, love sports. I loved going to the basketball games, football games, just being part of the student life there. Yeah, and I think if we lived closer to Lansing I would be a season ticket holder. I just love going to sports and being in that energetic environment.
Speaker 4:Yeah, state state's a special place, so, as a transplant to the state of Michigan, when I first moved to Michigan I lived in Lansing, so, like you just kind of ingrain yourself to, oh, it's Spartan Saturday or the basketball team, and then obviously Cammy's a Michigan state grad as well, so I call myself, I consider myself, a Spartan by marriage. Um, there's one team I will not cheer for, sparty against, though, and that's the Terps.
Speaker 1:That's right, maryland. Yeah, every time Maryland's, I'm like I know what.
Speaker 2:Bill's doing right now. That's right, Maryland, I do know that. Yep, yep, yeah. Every time Maryland's on, I'm like I know what Bill's doing right now.
Speaker 1:That's right Dialed in.
Speaker 2:He's dialed in. You've always been a fan of high school sports. I know one of your favorite places to be she has a very big smile on her face right now is on the sidelines on Friday nights at West Ottawa Stadium. What does a game night look like for you? Maybe look like for you, maybe a game day, all that.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So first of all I do have to say I think it is so much fun to be on the sidelines of football. I never had that opportunity until I was a head principal. I love it, it's so much fun.
Speaker 2:Doesn't Pat Collins call you the GM when you're out?
Speaker 1:there, it's his nickname. I don't know how many people know him, but he calls me the GM. Yes, just because I love the sound, I love the energy, I love just being close and watching things happen up close. It's really, really fun. And I think probably I missed my calling. I don't know. No, but yeah, game days for me, I mean Fridays at West Idaho High School are always special. Anyway, we do our Pride Fridays and we, you know, give shout outs to the kids who have really shown their teachers all their attributes of pride, and that's super fun. Because I don't know if you know, rodney, but we go around, I announce their names on the announcements on Friday morning, we go around, we give them coupons and gift cards and things like that, and we make a ruckus and it's really really fun.
Speaker 2:That's really cool, yep.
Speaker 1:And we'd go into classrooms and, just like you know, scream their name and we're like happy pride Friday.
Speaker 2:It's awesome.
Speaker 1:And so that's always a fun way to start Fridays. And then we gear up after school, we get ready to help the you know black hole get where they need to be and and be positive, uh, for force for our football team. And, yeah, I just love, I love the whole thing of it. Um, I love the band, I love the cheerleaders. You know love what Mindy has been doing with our program. It's awesome. She's doing so many good things and uh, so yeah, I love the whole environment of Fridays under the Lights.
Speaker 2:You just got to something I wanted to go into more detail on when you were there on a Friday night. It's not just the football players, right? Nope, and I was making this list up and I was like, okay, another one. I'm like who else? So you have football players, you have the band, you have drum line, which is probably part of the band, but I'm not here every day. So, no, it is yes, all right. You have the black hole, you have dance teams, you have Will BN students up in the booth running music and scoreboard graphics and hitting the lights that stay on for three minutes. You also have videos. That's a shout out to our man, quinn Vandercamp. You have videos made by Will BN playing on the big screen, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. I guess for both of you, you can both speak to this as ADN principal. What do you feel about our school, our community and our students when you take a moment to really think about what makes up a Friday night? Maybe, bill, you can start, and then we'll go, Christie.
Speaker 4:Friday nights, for me, are always special. I was a football guy, I am a football guy, I'll always be a football guy. Um, there's no place I'd rather be on a Friday night than in a high school stadium. Whether it's at West Ottawa or when we're on the road, I don't miss Friday night football games. It's what I think are the nine best guaranteed nights of my year. Um, and it's because of those other things, though, right, it's the fact that it's the one sport that brings together the marching band, the cheer program, the Wobie and kids upstairs, the student body that turns out, the community that turns out. Since we've opened West Ottawa Stadium, there are. I really can't think of a night where I've looked up in the stands and thought, man, we don't have very many people here tonight. It's always there, the people just show up. So that, for me, is what I love about Fridays. It's the unifier of the community, and it's a Friday, right, everybody's excited for the weekend and that's the way they have chosen to come and spend it with us.
Speaker 2:How about you, christy, just all the students that are there participating and making an impact in our community?
Speaker 1:Bill said it, he hit the nail on the head. It's about bringing our community together and I would say not just football too, but like all of our sports, I love going to as many as I can and seeing our community members coming out and supporting our kids. We talk about how we are the heart of the community and you can see that when we offer those opportunities for our families to come and engage in the school. And there's just nothing, there's nothing better, just seeing people come out and support our kids and really feeling like we are at the heart of the community. It actually can't talk about too much because it starts to choke up a little bit.
Speaker 2:We're not going to stop you.
Speaker 1:I'm a lifer I really am. I bleed black and white and I'm a Panther for life. Because of those kinds of things, because of our community.
Speaker 4:So one of my fondest memories that I've got to share with Christy is the night of the first ever football game at West Ottawa Stadium and we were coming from a very old spot that you know that didn't have a lot of bells and whistles, and now all of a sudden we're in a place where it has a bunch of bells and whistles and I remember walking up to her at the end and I looked at her and I said this is the new normal, like we get to do this again next week. Sure, it's just, it's really transformed. What we're able to do, um, and I think further shows like especially with woe bn and kind of their involvement in this year that we're just starting to scratch the surface of what facilities like west ottawa stadium can provide, which kind of segues me right into the next thing that I want to ask you I'm a big segue guy.
Speaker 4:I should get one to go up and down main street.
Speaker 2:That's, that's that would really would be the 29 one on the road. It would mobile on segues, yeah.
Speaker 1:I'm not. I would be lying if I said people haven't asked me if they can get them.
Speaker 4:So, since you have taken over as the principal, you've seen the opening of West Ottawa Stadium. We just opened the Performing Arts Center.
Speaker 1:Gorgeous, it is.
Speaker 4:And now we just broke ground on the Aquatic and Community Center. Could you talk to us a little bit about what it's been like to kind of see that, especially as a lifelong Panther? Right, You're seeing these facilities that you grew up in change completely.
Speaker 1:I know it's, it's overwhelming, it's exciting. I mean like, how lucky are our kids to have these spaces and how incredible again is our community that they're going to. They want to provide those spaces for our kids, our that they want to provide those spaces for our kids. Our PAC is unreal.
Speaker 1:Gorgeous and when they had the really cool red carpet event for the musical recently. It was, I mean, people were dressed to the nines. It was so fun and I just feel so lucky. And, going back to feeling indebted to the community, I want to do things so right for our kids and I want to have all of these awesome facilities because our kids deserve it. They'll go to other buildings and they feel like these are normal. They think that our stadium and our PAC are like what? Like this is just a thing right. And you go to other schools, which and we have like all of the schools around us have beautiful facilities. They really do. But when you leave our campus and you go to other ones, sometimes it's like oh, I didn't realize that this wasn't normal, and so for me, I just I feel so lucky to get to be the one to open some of these things, but also, you know, like I want to make sure I don't mess it up Right, and so there's a little bit of weight.
Speaker 2:You guys got some weight on you there with all these facilities, yep.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I remember the pressure that I felt for that first home football game was immense. Right Cause, now we've got this shiny new toy Don't mess it up and we've got to make sure that we're showing it off right, and and you cannot do it.
Speaker 2:Well, you can certainly underperform a place, and you haven't, nope I don't think so.
Speaker 4:I talked with our statin sports class first hour I've got another appointment here sixth hour and I told them that I would put our production on a friday night up against anybody. I don't think there's a high school out there that can match us on a friday night I like the ability for students to feel this incredible in-game experience.
Speaker 2:That's why I've always pushed a little bit giving kids that experience at every sorry at least let's talk we'll a little bit giving kids that experience at every sorry at least we'll talk football specifically. But giving them that experience as freshmen and as sophomores and as seniors, juniors as well, but the three levels it's because some kid that's their only time, their only time on football is that freshman year. It's like let's make them feel like they're at, you know they're on the big level, you know. So cause then everybody gets that chance to go to varsity, that sort of thing. You had mentioned this too, christy, but you know we have all these 29 varsity sports. What other sports do you like to get around to and and try and watch?
Speaker 1:You know, when I became the new principal, jason Reinecke gave me really good advice. The new principal, jason Reinecke, gave me really good advice and he said every sport, every level. So I try to make it and I do. I try to make it to every sport, every level, I do. I am a member of the community so I have a lot of friends, family friends here who their kids play sports and so I love going to I mean everything and I try to be involved in everything and watch every kid play every sport. Um, and my friend's kids play sports and so I love going to the track. Uh, the track meets, especially cause I I ran girls basketball I they are my favorite team. You're not supposed to have favorites. I apologize.
Speaker 2:That's okay. You know what Everyone always says you're not supposed to have favorites. Can we just cut it? It's very likely you have a favorite kid. It's very likely you have a favorite.
Speaker 4:whatever it's a very educator thing to do.
Speaker 1:It is. I think cross country is super fun. We've got a really, really cool course that the kids run. I think it's fun to go to that. I make it to the competitive cheer competition every year. That's so much fun to watch the energy. If you haven't been to a cheer competition, it's wild. It's so much fun and you can't match that energy in many places. So you know swimming and try to get as much as I can.
Speaker 2:And you can turn those into date nights, right? Isn't that the story?
Speaker 1:Yeah, mr Jernigan, if he wants to hang out with me and fortunately he is just as much of a sports fan as me. But we often go together and bill will make fun of us and be like date night, sure is?
Speaker 4:and I do the very same thing. I think, rodney, the first time you met my wife cammy, it was a date night at east kentwood high school and you were like, oh, you really do exist that was pretty much it he thought cammy was my imaginary friend yeah, I did for a long time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, cammy, this cammy that I'm like cammy not around at anywhere I can see, but you keep saying what you're saying. But anyways, got the chance to meet cammy in person.
Speaker 4:She's fantastic, she's great yeah, she was at hockey with me the other night, so you know, it's one of those things that, as an administrator and you're overseeing these programs, and you want to be there and support kids. Lucky to have spouses that are willing to do that with us.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I always say that education in general is a lifestyle, not a job, and so I am very blessed, you know, going back to the girls and having Ryan, who is a sports fan. I'm blessed to have a family that is in it with me at the same time doing the same things. Otherwise, I'm not sure that I would be able to pull it off, if I'm being honest. So it is about just blending the awesome programs you want to support and doing your life.
Speaker 2:We do a lot of things around here that are very tangible with students, especially student athletes. How does the school support like student athletes who may be facing challenges with their studies and being eligible for games? How do you guys work together on that?
Speaker 4:was born out of that right. I mean that is a an hour twice a week that kids can check in, check out with different teachers that maybe they're having struggles with. There's also low access after school a couple days a week that's available for kids, especially those who I don't know. Maybe you have a game at 5 30 so you've got a little bit of extra time hanging out after school. Maybe you should swing in there and dial in the studies a little bit because, as we always say, we're student athletes and in that order.
Speaker 4:That's true, we do say that, athlete.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that's I would say. For me there's no difference, like I, for me it's just supporting all kids and their academics, athletes or otherwise, and we have more supports here than you can, I we can. Our podcast would be too long. But yeah, just the after school supports. We recently started something last year called Triple T, targeted Tutoring Time, and it's for students who potentially need to owe some time to the school and themselves. If you owe the school some time after school, why are you not getting some academic help right? So we have Woe Access on Mondays and Wednesdays. We've got targeted tutoring time. On Thursdays, we've got seminars and built-in intervention. We have two full-time interventionists. Like I said, this is going to be long, but I'll keep it short.
Speaker 1:We've got a math interventionist, an ELA interventionist and ELA interventionist. Their entire job is to catch kids, primarily in ninth grade, and make sure that they can pass Algebra 1 and English 1. I've got two instructional coaches that can help our teachers, especially our new teachers, in their classrooms and we just have all of these incredible supports. We have eight EL teachers. Our kids, from an academic, you know, perspective, have more supports than any of the other schools around us and I'm really, really proud of that.
Speaker 1:And we continue as a district to push ourselves to get even more supports. And, and not only that, you know Winn-Woe and Panther Fund are there, not academically, obviously, but to be able to support students with needs, either extracurricularly or through Panther Fund, or academically through Panther Fund or basic needs through Wynwall. So we've got a lot going on and I want to just mention this earlier. I can't remember what we were talking about, but it was something you know like how, putting the big events on. I feel like my job is making sure that I've got the right people in the right places to make all of those things happen, to make all of the moving parts that we can provide for our students and do provide our students. I've got the right people in those places that they can take their thing and run with it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and that's the whole nature of community getting people to come out and be part of everything. Do you have any examples because you've been teaching for a long time assistant principal, principal, elementary school principal do you have, like any tangible examples of maybe you don't have to say their name, but a student that maybe has gone through some of that and come out clean on the other side Shawshank reference there.
Speaker 1:So yeah, and there's. I don't want to get too nerdy.
Speaker 2:Oh be nerdy.
Speaker 1:Okay, all right, so I was a math teacher, friends, so it's in my nature. There's brain research surrounding kids being involved in extracurricular activities at school, sports being a big one of those, right, but we've got 54 clubs kids can get involved in.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. And so there's brain research around kids successfully thriving in school when they're involved in extracurricular activities. Actually, sometimes when we have students who make some poor choices and we need to create a plan with them of like how are we going to do better in the future, a lot of times I'll say you know what and you need to join a club or a sport or whatever because it really is better for them, and so I have many kids that I can think of where being a part of a team has really been the saving grace for them academically and getting them across the stage to graduation, Because that's really what it is is.
Speaker 1:We want not only for our kids to graduate and be successful and get a high school diploma, we want them to be successful after high school too.
Speaker 1:We want them to be able to stay in our community and be positive members of our community, right. So I can think of one particular student I don't want to use his name. He's graduating this year. When he came in as a freshman I would have met him in March, because that's when I came and became the principal and he had really big behaviors, some trauma. He was failing all his classes, not great attendance and through the work of our assistant principals, his counselor, some of his coaches, that kind of had to pull him along to keep him academically eligible or to keep him coming to practice or to get him to practice or get him home from practice or whatever. He's going to make it and that is such a cool success story and, how I said earlier, how it's playing the long game. That's what sports can do for kids is play the long game and get them to the finish line where they can be really awesome humans at the end.
Speaker 4:So I love that she talked about the correlation between participation in extracurriculars and success, because that was my master's thesis.
Speaker 1:There you go. How'd I do?
Speaker 4:It's, the research is all there.
Speaker 2:My question is how did you do on your thesis? Did you miss that?
Speaker 4:I had an excellent score on the master's thesis. I'm sure you did. I'm sure you did, I can write a paper with the best of them.
Speaker 2:I just want everyone to know. We do what's called a storyboard for these podcasts, and Christy Jernigan has jumped the storyboard at every time because she knows what to talk about next. It is I've never seen it where we want to hit something next and you are on it. It's happened four, five, six times already, so kudos to you, for she's a pro podcast interview. Yeah well, there's going to be Someone's going on vacation, or oh put me in.
Speaker 2:Bill Kennedy had that sore throat, but Bill Kennedy loves his sore throat. Bill Kennedy have that sore throat, but Bill Kennedy loves his sore throat. Let's be honest, get that gravelly, it makes the voice better, yeah, great, well, seasons are about to start, or have started. Bill, can you walk us through what sports are going on right now?
Speaker 4:Yeah, so we're three hockey games into the season already. Hockey is always the first one that gets rolling in the wintertime, so we're back at home. Friday and Saturday of this upcoming week. Friday and Saturday of this upcoming week, boys basketball gets started. Next week, girls basketball the week following Competitive cheer wrestling. Very shortly you'll get rolling with their competitions. They have more of a ramp up into their season. And then we still have a fall sport that is competing right now, which is hard to believe because the state swim meet is this upcoming weekend. And then our aquatics director, assistant athletic director, swim coach, steve Boyer. He gets the one day off in between seasons. He finishes the state meet for the girls on Saturday and he has his Sunday, and then he starts boys on Monday morning.
Speaker 4:That is wild so he has the shortest turnaround of any coach I know. But he's a grinder because swimmers grind.
Speaker 2:They certainly do. This has been really nice to sit down with you, christy Jernigan. It's nice to spend time and meet you. If you are listening to this podcast, we want to thank you for doing that and taking the time. Say hi to Bill, say hi to Christy. They're here, they're part of the community with us, we are West Ottawa, we are community. We are West Ottawa, we are community, we are each other. Thanks for coming on, chris. We really appreciate it.
Speaker 1:You're welcome and, as always, go low.
