Inductees

All Dr. Kerwin Urhahn ever wanted to do was his best. Nothing more, nothing less.

Whether he was teaching math, coaching, or serving as a principal, Urhahn worked to give everything he had to the job with which he was entrusted. And in his 16 years as Executive Director of the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) he did that and more, setting the organization on a more solid footing for the future.

It’s for those reasons the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly inducted Kerwin Urhahn as a member of the Class of 2022.

Urhahn, who retired from a life in education after 31 years last spring, was just the sixth executive director at MSHSAA in the organization’s 96-year history. He came to Columbia after serving on the MSHSAA Board of Directors for Southeast Missouri. He came with a plan in mind, and he executed that plan, to its fullest. And he started with technology.

“What was most important was finding ways to help the membership, and not being a burden for dealing with the by-laws they have put in place,” Urhahn said. “Technology was an avenue to allow us to do that. The website has become a tool that all athletic directors can use to do their job and hopefully not have to duplicate work. By using the website and providing input to the office on what is needed by the member schools, it has allowed us to be a resource and make life easier for coaches, athletic directors, and most importantly the kids.”

While Urhahn implemented and carried out the technology plan, like so many other things, he is quick to shift the credit.

“The organization was already discussing the need to address the website while I was on the MSHSAA Board and just prior to going into the office,” he said. “My staff did a wonderful job of providing input and suggestions on what we needed with our website.”

But the technology improvements didn’t stop with just upgrading a website. Video streaming was on the horizon and Urhahn wanted to take advantage of the evolving technology. During his tenure, MSHSAA went from streaming one championship football game and two basketball games, to producing and streaming nearly 200 championship events.

He didn’t stop there. Asked to list his most important achievements, Urhahn mentioned changing the perception of the MSHSAA office.

“I wanted to add the perspective that the MSHSAA office was there to help our schools, and not be the folks sitting in their ivory tower,” he said. “I made a conscious effort to be out in the schools traveling the state checking in with schools and administrators. Also, I made it a priority for my staff to do the same thing, get out and be seen.”

Improving MSHSAA’s relationships with athletic directors across the state was also critical.

“I would say, also, the work done during my tenure to build a tremendously positive relationship with the Missouri Interscholastic Athletic Administration (MIAAA),” Urhahn said. “The athletic directors are the boots on the ground for MSHSAA and they need our help. The Association has over 100 new athletic directors each year. With all that turnover, we have to support and help them learn their jobs.”

Of course, the job wasn’t without its challenges. Urhahn has had to work hard over the years to curtail “unrealistic expectations” for students on the playing field and help them – and their parents – understand that sports are more than just winning and losing.

“When a child loses a contest, it should not determine the worth of the person,” Urhahn said. “It is a perfect opportunity to teach, learn and prepare for life after high school.  We live in a society that wants to blame others, but we first need to ask ourselves if we did everything we could to prepare for the competition.

“I believe now as I always have, that sports and activities are the best at-risk program that any high school can offer to its students. We must ensure that coaches and administrators understand that the purpose of sports and activities at the high school level is to prepare kids for life. Everyone’s goals are to win games and championships, but it is not our purpose.”

As for the future of high school sports, Urhahn sees much of the same.

“I see the pandemic and longing to be community continuing to carry on in high schools and high school sports and activities being the identities for community,” he said. “Kids want to play, they want to be part of something bigger than themselves, and they want to represent their school and play with their friends.”