Mr. Jim Woudstra, High School Athletic Director and Dean of Students
Personal Profile
I was born in 1952 in Orange City, Iowa. In the family tradition going back to the Netherlands, my father was a butcher. From junior high through college, I worked alongside my father, grandfather and uncle in Woudstra’s Meat Market. My mother’s roots were in Illinois; she grew up on a gladiola farm south of Momence. I recall many family trips during my childhood to visit our Illinois relatives. I played sports during every season at Unity Christian High School in Orange City, including cross country, basketball, baseball and track. I attended Northwestern College in Orange City where I participated in basketball, golf and track and was fortunate to play in two NAIA national basketball tournaments in Kansas City, MO. I also had the opportunity to participate in the high jump and the college division 4 x 400 m relay at the Drake Relays. I met my wife, Jo Ann, at Northwestern and we were married during Christmas break of our junior year. After college I played basketball professionally for six years in the Netherlands as a Dutch citizen. Jo Ann and I have been richly blessed with three children. Our oldest, Mieka Jo, now living in Spirit Lake, Iowa with her husband, Anthony Stecker, and their 5 children, Annika (7), Adrie (5), twins Ethan and Dylan (2) and Bennett (born 8/08). Our middle child, Lee Mitchell, and his wife, Carmen, live and work in the Dallas, TX area. Our youngest, Larae Joy, and her husband, Sean Gutierrez, have recently moved to Colorado Springs, CO. Jo Ann and I enjoy a variety of physical activities together, including golf, tennis, rollerblading, biking and walking. We also enjoy relaxing together with a good book or TV movie. Our deepest regret is that we are between 8 and 16 hours from our children and grandchildren.
Professional Profile
I attended Orange City Christian School, Unity Christian High School and Northwestern College, all in Orange City, Iowa. My college major was Health, Physical Education and Recreation with minors in Math and Biology. I earned my Master’s Degree from South Dakota State University in HPER with an emphasis in Athletic Administration. Since graduating from college, I have taught 1 year at Denver Christian HS, CO, 2 years at the Rotterdam International School, NL, 1 year at the International School of The Hague, NL, 3 years at Waupun HS, WI, 2 years at Dordt College, IA, 2 years at Central Valley Christian HS, CA, and 12 years at Sterling College, KS. I have coached football (1), track & field (4), softball (5), baseball (2) and basketball (24), served as athletic director for 2 years at Central Valley Christian HS and department chair at Sterling College for 10 years. I came to Timothy Christian HS in the fall of 2000 as athletic director and dean of students, the position I currently hold.
Philosophical Profile
Education is about preparing young people for a life of service in God’s kingdom. It is about helping them understand and develop a personal relationship with Christ. It is also about helping them develop the potential they were created with. I believe the involvement in the lives of young people is why I felt called to become an educator and coach. Whether I am teaching in a classroom, coaching a team, preparing a field for the next game, supervising fans during a contest, talking to a student who has been removed from a class or supervising a group of students in Saturday School, my position involves working with or for young people and their families. My current position as Dean of Students allows me to develop relationships with kids who have discipline problems. I hope that I can help a student who has been involved in an incident understand why it is unacceptable but also that it can be forgiven and a life lesson learned. As athletic director I have the opportunity to work with coaches who have committed considerable time and energy to working with student-athletes who represent Timothy Christian as members of our athletic teams. My goal is to help our coaches grow in their positions and help our students achieve their physical potential. Each aspect of my position is an opportunity to serve young people, help them grow and mature and prepare them for future kingdom service