Always Present

Congratulations are in order for Mr. Wurzer who was selected as the state middle school athletic director of the year at the Iowa high school athletic directors convention this past weekend! I can think of no one more deserving. As a person who works largely in the background, a lot of what he does for the students in our school district may go unnoticed. But I can assure you of this: without his commitment and dedication we most certainly wouldn't be as successful as we are. He has been the constant variable in our school, always present and working hard on behalf of the students and school. If you have ever had a chance to interact with Kevin, you know why he does this: he loves Hudson, and he loves seeing our kids succeed. And that is not all: he is not one to complain and rarely takes a night off (even when ordered to). He has made it his mission to do whatever he can to make sure the students in our school district have access to great coaches and facilities that complement their academic program. Indeed, watching our kids compete is fun, but seeing how Mr. Wurzer reacts when they crush a milestone is something else. 

Mr. Wurzer was named activities director at Hudson in 1999. And since 2003, Hudson has had three state championship teams, seven teams finish as state runner up, and thirty-four teams qualifying for a variety of state tournaments. When this record of accomplishment was announced during his introduction, you could hear the murmurs of amazement and audible gasps from the audience at this impressive statistic. He will be the first one to tell you that he had little to do with it, but in my observations of him over the years I'm just not buying it. 

Believe me: What he does day in and day out, doesn't just happen! As athletic director, Mr. Wurzer is responsible for hiring and supervising all the coaches and moderators for our school district extra and co-curricular programs. He has direct oversight for roughly 65 coaches and moderators for every activity program ranging from varsity football to the high school musical. He organizes the concession stand, makes sure we have officials, and sets up for the events. The vast majority of the time, he is the first to arrive and the last to leave. It's tough work being an activities director. The hours are long, and the program runs year around. In the summer when most teachers are on summer break, you can usually find Mr. Wurzer at the baseball/softball complex getting the field and concession stand ready for another game. In the plethora of events we host throughout the year he is the 'go to' person when there is an unruly fan or when the popcorn popper quits working. 

I have complete trust and respect for Mr. Wurzer. With his guidance we have been able to accomplish many great upgrades and renovations to our facilities. He is a strong advocate not only for extra/co-curricular programs, but an advocate for the student. Yes, our athletic teams continue to flourish and our activity programs are the envy of many schools our size, but Kevin understands this is but one part of the educational experience of our youth. It is difficult to think about Hudson schools and not immediately think of that guy who is always present, and known quite simply to all of us as 'Wurz'.