After nearly four decades in education, including 16 years leading Westside’s athletic department, athletic director Tom Kerkman is preparing to close one chapter of his life and pass the torch to someone new.
During his time at Westside, Kerkman has transformed the school into one of Nebraska’s most respected athletic programs, guiding it to 19 state championships, two Omaha World-Herald All-Sports titles, and an NSAA Cup All-Activities Award. Yet for Kerkman, the numbers only tell part of the story.
“There’s been some great state championships obviously. The first state football one that we won was great. I think last year’s boys soccer was an unbelievable achievement,” Kerman said. “Really for the most part it’s not so much the state championships as it is seeing coaches grow and kids become better. Just watching coaches and our student athletes succeed inside and outside of the classroom.”
Kerkman has seen Westside’s athletic culture evolve dramatically since he arrived in 2009 as assistant athletic director and dean. He pointed to National Signing Day as one example of that growth.
“When we first had national signing day sixteen years ago we used to do it in the Warrior room. We would maybe have one or two kids sign. Now we hold it in the gym and we have 21 student athletes signing national letters of intent for all sorts of sports. I think we are doing a better job of training our athletes to perform at higher levels,” Kerkman said.
Omaha sports announcer Ross Jernstrom, who has known Kerkman for years, describes the evolution that has occurred under Kerkman’s tenure.
“Mr. Kerkman has taken Westside High School athletics to the top level over the past 16 years. The Warriors have achieved their greatest success under his leadership,” Jernstrom said. “After winning the NSAA Cup and the Omaha World-Herald All-Sports trophy in recent years, shows how much the athletic program has become the envy of other high schools from around the state.”
When asked about the key to building a strong athletic program, Kerkman keeps it simple.
“It really boils down to this – you have to have a great administrative team from the top down. Our school board is great. Our district administrators from Dr. Lucas to Dr. Haynes to Dr. Weichel, all support athletics. The administrative team we have here with Dr. Dostal and the assistant principals, we all have to be on the same page,” Kerkman said. “It all starts at the top. The other stakeholders are the parents. We have to have supportive parents and I think they are very supportive.”
Kerkman has also overseen significant changes in Westside’s coaching structure.
“When I first got here 16 years ago, we only had two coaches who did not teach in the building. Almost every coach we had was a teacher. Today I would say at least 50% of our coaches are not teachers. That’s probably one of the biggest changes I’ve made,” Kerkman said.
Reflecting on his career, Kerkman remains focused on the coaches and students he works with.
“What I would say to any young coach is to not let disappointment stop you from coaching. Whether it’s a bad season or you didn’t get a job promotion. Keep fighting, keep working hard, you’ll get your chance,” Kerkman said. “As I reflect I have always thought of myself as a small part in the school. I’ve always tried to make sure our coaches and kids have what they need. I’ve just tried to be a small part in some of the successes they have.”
Kerkman believes Westside’s strong community has played a huge role in the school’s success.
“If we didn’t have such a strong community, Westside wouldn’t be in the position they have been in over the past few years. That can’t go unspoken. Just building the new life complex center shows how strong this community is. It’s nothing that I’ve done; we just have a very supportive community,” Kerkman said.
As for what he’ll miss most, Kerkman didn’t hesitate.
“What I’ll miss the most in getting out of this is the people. Just working with the people at Westside. The coaches, the student athletes; just everything about it,” Kerkman said. “It’s going to be a big change for me in regard to the fact that this is what I’ve been doing for 39 years. It’s time for someone else to take this program and elevate it even more.”
Kerkman also credited his family for making his career possible.
“You have to have a real supportive family to do this job and I’m lucky to have a family like that. My wife was a nurse so she worked long hours, so it allowed me to work these. Being able to watch my two kids grow up. If we weren’t a family that liked sports and activities, I could have never done this job,” Kerkman said. “I was fortunate to come from a family where sports was a huge priority. I played sports in high school. I was a terrible athlete playing at a small Catholic school. That’s where I had great coaches as mentors and that’s why I wanted to do this. All I wanted to do was be a teacher, coach, and work in education. So I’ve lived my dream.”
