Kylee Meter
ASU Student Journalist

Valley Christian's Haagsma educates on and off the court

March 17, 2018 by Kylee Meter, Arizona State University


Athletics is part of his job title, but Greg Haagsma’s work encompasses much more than sports.

For 26 years, Haagsma has played many roles at Valley Christian High School in Chandler, but his duties have always involved the intersection of athletics, academics and the Christian faith.

He previously served as the head coach for baseball, girls basketball, boys basketball and taught business classes. During the 2011-12 school year, Haagsma was promoted to athletic director, but he continued to teach and coach the boys varsity basketball team.

While some see a sharp distinction between participation-based sports and required education, Haagsma has continued to purposely blur that line throughout his career.

“Good coaches are also good teachers,” Haagsma said. “To continue to help kids learn in whatever framework you are – whether that’s on a court, a field or in a classroom – is a rewarding thing. I see myself as a teacher on the basketball court, just like I do in the classroom.”

As a sports fanatic himself, Haagsma understands that his students’ passion for sports can be used as a motivator in classroom.

“Sports are a really good carrot to help kids,” Haagsma said. “They’re that carrot that kids continually run at because they want to participate in sports and not doing well academically can prevent them doing something that they love.”

However, Haagsma isn’t quick to revoke participation as an end-all solution to poor grades.

“We don’t want to take away sports as a punishment, necessarily, but what we do want to do is to help them understand that sports are still a back seat to academics,” Haagsma said.

Over the years, Haagsma has realized that students who are more inclined to focus on academic success and preparing for college, tend to not to participate on the court or field.

Haagsma said that the department continually strives to increase participation by modifying time commitments and offering study halls between the final bell and the start of practice for high academic students.

His desire to increase participation stems from his practice as using sports as a gateway to build lasting character.

“We believe that character is a very, very big part of each of our students and we want them to develop Christ-like characteristics here at (a) Christian school,” Haagsma said. “So, that shows not only on the court in practice, but on the court in games and it shows how they handle themselves with integrity off the court.”

Prior to becoming athletic director, Haagsma introduced the Character Matters program to the boys basketball team. Once Haagsma was in his leadership position, he said one of his first goals was to allocate funds to support the program’s curriculum being taught to every sports team at VCHS.

According to the Character Matters website, the program helps coaches establish a character culture and states that success “is measured in strong character and changed lives not trophies, status or statistics.”

Despite having 500 career wins and five state championships at Valley Christian, Haagsma said he believes strongly in the Character Matters curriculum and teaching student-athletes that there’s more to learn from sports than athleticism.

Outside of the sports realm, Haagsma voices his values as the member of the school’s academic and administrative teams, along with two committees.

“We have administrative meetings every week and he hits that a lot about how academics is obviously only a small piece of what we’re doing here,” VCHS legacy director Troy Thelen said. “Our mission statement is to prepare academically, physically, socially and spiritually, so he hits that time and time again.”

Haagsma is involved in decisions that change bell schedules, grade point systems and curriculum, but those minor modifications help ensure his big picture of instilling integrity.

“I think it’s very, very important that kids are trained up to be individuals of integrity and high quality because that’s what we’re called to do as Christian servers of God – to help kids be cultural difference makers,” Haagsma said.

Kimberly Kamerman, who is the school’s receptionist and had a son play basketball for four years at VCHS, said Haagsma’s ability to lead by his faith and hold students accountable is what makes him a strong leader.

“It all comes down to integrity, and he not only is a great AD and coach, but he is a molder of Christians with values and morals,” Kamerman said. “At the end of the day, that’s what’s really going to be important when you leave high school.”

Coach “Haags” said becoming a high school athletic director was his dream job because of the ability to teach students values that will last beyond their athletic careers and throughout their lifetimes.

“I’ve used my passion for sports and my passion for seeing kids grow up and mature together, and I think that’s what keeps me young and keeps me going,” Haagsma said.

The self-proclaimed traditionalist said that despite the busy schedule, he’s not planning to look for another career.