Junior Sam Vanderveen competes both on the varsity swim and golf teams for Westside. Vanderveen has been able to compete on both teams since he was a freshman. 

Vanderveen has Down syndrome, which has not stopped him from competing in high school athletics. He has been competing since he was in elementary school in both sports. Golfing on his own and competing for Swim Omaha, a local swim club. 

“I started golfing in second grade,” Vanderveen said. 

At his swim club he enjoys putting in hard work and working on getting better.

“I just like practice and getting there on time. Get some swimming time in,” Vanderveen said. 

When Vanderveen came to Westside he met Head golf coach Jered Hellman. Who has helped Sam in his golfing career. He has seen Sam grow on and off the green.

“A key focus is Sam’s continued growth in independence. On the golf course, he’s responsible for making all of his own decisions—a challenging task for any golfer,” Hellman said.  “Not just those with Down syndrome. Over the last two seasons, Sam has shown tremendous growth in this area, and we’re excited to see him build on that progress this year.”

As the spring season is rapidly approaching, Hellman has big goals for Vanderveen this upcoming spring season. 

“Despite having Down syndrome Vanderveen is still able to compete with other athletes from other schools. One of his personal goals has been to beat players from other schools who don’t have Down syndrome,” Hellman said. “He takes immense pride in achieving this. His teammates and coaches take pride in it, too. This will remain a goal for Sam this season.”

Vanderveen, being in his third year on the team, has made a big impact. He has been thriving with his teammates on the team and brings a lot of energy to practices. 

“Sam is incredibly loving and thrives on the relationships he has with his coaches and teammates,” Hellman said.  “He’s also very funny, and we can always count on him to bring energy, joy, and excitement to practice.”

Vanderveen really likes having Hellman as a coach and enjoys golfing as a Warrior. 

“Coach Hellmen is a good coach. I made the JV team when I was a freshman,” Vanderveen said. 

After the golf team won back to back state championships, the team decided to let him hold the state title trophy at the pep rally at school. 

“I got to hold a trophy before school at the pep rally,” Vanderveen said. “It’s fun and exciting.”

Hellman is proud to say that Vanderveen represents everything that Westside golf is about. Without him Hellman thinks that the team wouldn’t have been able to have won the titles back to back.  

“We’ve won back-to-back state titles, and each time, a pep rally was held to celebrate. Before both events, the boys decided who would carry the state trophy. Both times, there was no debate—Sam was unanimously chosen to represent our team,” Hellman said. “Sam embodies everything Westside golf stands for. Without his countless contributions to his teammates and coaches, I’m confident we wouldn’t have achieved the same level of success.”

For the upcoming season, Vanderven has lots of goals but one of which is working on his putting and reducing the number of strokes. 

“Try and practice my swings and putting is important,” Vanderveen said. “For me like 10 putts or seven putts. That’s not good. I can improve my putting by little things like three and two and four and six, those are good for me that I can improve on.”

Vanderveen also is very talented in the pool. He has been contributing a lot of energy to the swim team. Head coach Andy Rider recognizes Vanderveen’s hard work. 

“Sam is a great member of our swim team. He trains hard and wants to be successful,” Rider said. 

His expertise is in the butterfly and the energy he brings to the swim meets he attends for Westside is noticeable. 

“Sam is very talented in the butterfly, and has swam it several times for us this season, along with swimming freestyle,” Rider said. “Sam brings a lot of energy to the pool deck, always cheering on his fellow swimmers, and congratulating them after their races.”

Fellow swimmer and junior Will Cartwright loves the energy Vanderveen brings to the butterfly. 

“I love his spirit for the 100 fly, he loves it to death,” Cartwright said. 

Vanderveen has high goals for the season. Last year he placed second at state and wants to win the unified race at state.  

“My goal this year is to win state, and Metro. Just work really hard at swimming. Get out practice, morning time and swim fast,” Vanderveen said. “That’s all it can take right now.”

“Sam really wants to improve his 50 freestyle this year. He has been working hard to try and break the 30 second mark,” Rider said. 

With the new pool coming in the fall of 2025, Vanderveen is very excited for the renovations. 

“We will have our new weight room and stuff. We have medicine balls and stuff in the Life Complex, and there’s trainers in there too,” Vanderveen said. 

Some of his fondest memories are made with his fellow teammates. Vanderveen loves going to swim meets and attending team dinners. 

“Our team dinners and meets with them are fun,” Vanderveen said. 

One of his teammates who Vanderveen looks up to most is Aidan Jackson. He loves doing chants on the pool deck with him and getting excited. 

“The leader for swim team Aiden Jackson, He’s a captain. This year, he gets boys together and we chant together. We’re a family with a swim team,” Vanderveen said. 

Vanderveen continues to strive for athletic excellence while enjoying every moment with his teammates and inspiring those around him. Vanderveen will be getting ready for the state swim meet next month, as well as his upcoming golf season in the spring.