Mike Gurley preached it to his kids from Day One.
His West Rowan basketball team would not be playing just for themselves and their school. They would be playing to win one for their principal, too.
Henry Kluttz is waving goodbye to his office at West Rowan High School after this year and what better way to go out than with a state championship.
After three decades of making kids his life, the obvious question for Henry Kluttz is, what will he miss most?
Kluttz was asked Monday during the state championship media day in Chapel Hill. His answer was as obvious as the question.
“The part I’ll miss most is watching kids perform,” he said.
And he doesn’t just mean athletes. He gets just as big of a thrill watching a school play. Or seeing the band march across the football field at halftime.
“Those are the kids you love being around,” he said. “They’re doing extra things. They’re staying eligible. They’re staying out of trouble. They’re doing the right kinds of things.
“There’s enough data out there that shows it in their GPA and you see it in their attendance.”
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Sports at West Rowan is peaking right now and taking center stage of all extra curricular activities. And Kluttz is very happy about that, considering where athletics were in 1984 when he took over as principal.
“We weren’t competitive in anything,” he said. “I’d ask myself why we were already out of the game by halftime. So we had to work to get better.”
Kluttz is like a major league team’s general manager. He must make the hires and make the best decisions.
“We try to fill every single sport,” he said. “We try to find men and women who are good teachers who can also coach. Most of the ones who will do that are dedicated professionals.”
The biggest change he has seen is in the number of sports. He used to wonder if he could field a soccer team. Now, he has varsity and jayvee teams. Overall, West has a whopping 32 sports, as well as cheerleading.
“I’m proud of that,” Kluttz said. “It consumes an enormous amount of time, effort and energy but it is a struggle to find men and women who’ll do it.”
He raves about the weight room. He is also proud of the softball field. The Falcons used to play at a recreation park down the road.
“It’s not a great softball field,” he says, “but it’s ours.”
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Kluttz is an athlete’s friend and a coach’s best friend. He scoffs at the notion that sports aren’t important. If that’s what gets a kid to school, it’s a worthy endeavor. Once the kid is in school, it is up to him and the faculty to get the child to understand the importance of academics. If a kid wants to play bad enough, he’ll perform in the classroom, too.
In fact, Kluttz was on the court after West beat T.C. Roberson to win the Western 3A Regionals, smiling at star senior guard Brian Avery as if he were one of his own.
“Watching kids be successful is a great thing,” Kluttz said. “Like Brian Avery, who struggled academically, but who stepped up to the plate and put the team on his shoulders.”
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Kluttz could’ve retired last year but Gurley kept reminding him there was another 2,000-point scorer following Scooter Sherrill. His name is Donte Minter.
That wasn’t the sole reason Kluttz decided to stay on for another year but Gurley was right. Minter did go over 2,000 points. And Kluttz will be there when Minter and his buddies try to win another state title for West Rowan.
All the while trying to win one for their principal.
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Contact Ronnie Gallagher at 704-797-4287 or rgallagher@salisburypost.com
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