2022 Distinguished Alumni Award – Kevin Westhoff.

 

 

The joint LCSD Foundation and Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni committee is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award – Kevin Westhoff.

Kevin was nominated by colleague Terry Fitzgerald. Westhoff currently teaches elementary physical education at the Le Mars Community District School.

Fitzgerald said in his nomination for Kevin, “I have worked with Kevin for onto 28 years and during that time I was and still am, highly impressed with his dedication to his job but mostly to his students and athletes. He not only diligently works on the job but has also spent countless hours of his own time researching, attending clinics, conferences, and finding ways to enhance his lessons and practice plans with the pure goal of giving his students and athletes a more complete and fulfilling experience.”

He also stated, “in addition to his career, he also donates many hours of his personal free time to benefit the youth of Le Mars, Iowa. There is no more important hero than one who is committed to helping our young people become the best people that they can be.”

Westhoff graduated from LCHS in 1982 and attended Westmar College. While a college student he was a volunteer for the middle school wrestling and track programs and seventh-and eighth-grade football. After graduating mid-year in 1986 from Westmar, he continued to volunteer as well as substitute teach at LCS.

He taught at Coon Rapids-Bayard for three years before joining the staff at Le Mars Community in 1991. Since then, his teaching assignments have ranged from high school PE classes, grades 9-12 health classes, head strengthening coach, and for the past six years in elementary physical education. His coaching duties centered on football, wrestling and track.

Westhoff has been active in the T-Ball and Little League programs in both Le Mars and Remsen, from manager/coaching, All Star coach, player rep, to board member. He has also coached the Le Mars Youth Football program and organized and ran youth football camps.

Kevin and his wife, Mary, have been married for 32 years and have four boys, Travis, Tyler, Trevor and Tate.

Kevin gives credit to the role models he had as a student at LCHS and Westmar to leading him into the teaching/coaching field. People like Eldon Clement, Dennis Smith, Steve Mohning, Bob Bitterly, Don Shilling and Steve Shea all helped mold him and teach him the importance of having expectations and being held accountable for their choices. That credo is what he purposes to instill in his students today.