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What makes a high school athletic experience truly special? For West Ottawa Superintendent Tim Bearden, it's that magical Friday night feeling – middle schoolers creating "white noise" in one section, the high school "Black Hole" roaring in another, dozens of cheerleaders, 120 marching band members, football players giving their all, and youth players taking the field at halftime. "You just look around and think, man, this is so cool. This is what it's supposed to be."
In this thoughtful conversation, Bearden opens up about his lifelong connection to athletics – from his days as a high school golfer and track athlete to becoming a state championship-winning volleyball coach, and eventually a proud sports parent of his kids and watching his daughter Kennedy score the Golden Goal for GVSU in the national championship.
Along the way, he shares how these experiences shaped his educational philosophy and approach to leadership. Bearden's journey reveals the true power of educational athletics. "Athletics as a platform teaches a lot of valuable lessons – in some ways, lessons that are more memorable and will stick with kids longer than lessons they learn in the classroom," he explains. His personal evolution as a coach mirrors what many parents experience – moving from an intense focus on competition to understanding that "if it's not a fun experience for kids, then we screwed up."
The conversation explores West Ottawa's commitment to inclusive athletic opportunities through initiatives like Panther Pathways, which removed transportation barriers for elementary students, and how the district's impressive facilities support student pride and participation. Bearden also addresses challenges facing high school sports, including the battle to maintain high school athletic involvement and the importance of preserving multi-sport participation.
Whether you're a coach, parent, educator, or simply someone who values the role of athletics in building character and community, this episode offers valuable perspective on what truly matters in high school sports. Listen now and rediscover why, even decades later, those team experiences remain some of life's most cherished memories.
This episode was recorded on September 23, 2025.
Chapters
1. Intro & Welcome To Tim Bearden, What Did You Have For Breakfast? Dad Jokes = Bad Jokes (00:00:00)
2. Building Perspective, His Sports In High School - Golf & Track, Something For Everyone, Memories of Being Part Of A Team (00:05:32)
3. High School Sports & The Mission Of West Ottawa, Life Lessons, No TD's For Bill But Friendships Forever (00:09:26)
4. Misconceptions About Coaches, Coaches As Teachers, Tim's Coaching Career, Balancing Competition/Fun/A Good Experience, Coaching Perspective Changing Over Time (00:11:47)
5. Being a Sports Parent, Missing Team Parent Atmosphere, Parenting Athletes, Kid's Successes & Failures, Competing At Different Levels (00:20:17)
6. West Ottawa's Athletic Facilities, The Importance Of Creating Opportunity, Panther Pathways, Isolating An Issue & Solving The Problem, A Pine Creek Basketball Game (00:29:09)
7. People In It For Kids, Football Games Showcasing An Entire Community Together, Marching Band, Umping As A Kid & Refereeing Now (00:34:03)
8. A Lifetime Interwoven With Athletics, Finding Your Passion, Lions Beat Ravens Drama, Enjoying The Nuances, Playing Pickleball & Volleyball (00:38:56)
9. NIL Coming to HIgh School Sports? Maintaining Athletic Participation At The High School Level, Value Of Being A Multi Sport Athlete (00:41:42)
10. A Message From Tim Bearden To The West Ottawa Sports Community, Dan Dickerson & Ernie Harwell, Find A Way To Be Around What You Love, Thanks (00:45:13)
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