Westland John Glenn's Polk Passes 500 Coaching Wins, Looks Forward to Future
By
Doug Donnelly
Special for MHSAA.com
February 21, 2023
If you can’t beat them, join them.
When Bill Polk was a high school wrestler at Dearborn High School, he lost his last match – at the MHSAA Finals – to a wrestler from Westland John Glenn.
Now, 30 years later, Polk is racking up wins on behalf of John Glenn as the Rockets’ varsity wrestling coach. Earlier this season, Polk collected career victory No. 500 and sees no end in sight for his ultra-successful wrestling career.
“I still have the passion,” said Polk. “About 15 minutes after we lost in the Regionals, I was meeting with our assistants and talking about camps and jotting down our lineup for 2023-24.”
Polk has been a fixture at John Glenn since graduating from Olivet College and landing a teaching job with the Westland district. Wrestling played a role in that as well.
“The head coach that was leaving contacted me and asked if I would be willing to come in,” Polk said. “We got into a conversation about it, and I talked him into staying a little longer and helping me out. It was nice he stuck around for two years and gave me the reigns.”
His first season as head coach at John Glenn was 2000-01, when the team went a modest 9-6. The Rockets won 17 matches both of the next two winters and 27 in 2003-04.
“I thought I would be winning state titles in a couple of years,” Polk said. “I had no clue of the intricacies it took to do such a thing. It’s been a good journey.”
John Glenn has made five trips to the MHSAA Team Finals, reaching the final four once.
And, Polk added, “there have been about a dozen times where we were one match away.”
He’s done a masterful job of putting together a great foundation at John Glenn.
“It’s not easy. It took 10 years before we had our first final eight appearance. There’s a lot that goes into building a program – changing the culture, building a youth program, getting everything set in the summer. It took some time for all of that and to get buy-in.”
The sport has changed dramatically during his 25 years of coaching, from the year-round training to the tremendous impact that youth wrestling has had on the sport across the state.
“Wrestling has changed so much since then,” he said. “About 20 years ago, you took a few kids to camp and had some summer open mats. Now, the kids are coming into ninth grade ready to wrestle. It’s phenomenal. Our youth program has 90 kids involved. I couldn’t imagine that 20 years ago. What youth wrestling has grown into is absolutely crazy.”
Polk has always welcomed his former wrestlers back to contribute to the program, from youth to junior high to the varsity level. In fact, nearly all of the assistant coaches and youth coaches wrestled for him.
“The group I have now, for the most part, all wrestled for me, were super successful, are young guys and they know the system,” Polk said. “I’m there and part of it, but I’m more or less invisible now. They know what they are doing and are super passionate about it and do an outstanding job. I’m very fortunate with that.”
John Glenn won its 18th District title this year under Polk but lost 36-27 to Temperance Bedford in a Division 1 Regional Semifinal. The Rockets and Mules seem to run into each other every year, and there have been some great state tournament battles.
One of Polk’s signature dual meet wins was against the Mules.
“The first year we finally beat Bedford was huge,” Polk said. “That was a big one. That was the 2008-09 season. That was a statement that we made it and our team was known as a competitive team. The best part about that is we’ve been able to maintain that and stay near the top. We really haven’t had a lot of down years from there.”
At first, Polk’s 500th career win came and went without anyone noticing. He saw a local newspaper report about a coach that had won match No. 400, and his assistant coaches began asking how many wins he had. That was about 14 wins after No. 500, which came Dec. 14 against Dearborn Edsel Ford.
“I told those guys not to say anything and, of course, they made a big deal out of it,” he said. “It’s nice. It’s a good milestone to hit. I just didn’t want it to distract from the task at hand. I kind of feel like a small-town celebrity now. The community was pretty excited about it.”
His 2021-22 team won 32 matches, as did his 2009-10 team. This year’s squad went 29-6.
His record now stands at 522-145.
It’s fitting that he has won so many dual meets, because dual meets are one of his favorite parts about the sport. Twenty or so years ago, dual meets made up only a fraction of the season, but today they are a big part.
“It’s my favorite part – the research that goes into trying to bump guys around to win those big meets,” he said. “It’s a chess match. It’s part of what makes it fun.”
The atmosphere surrounding a big dual meet or quad, he said, can be electric.
“You can’t substitute that environment,” he said. “The team aspect is my favorite. Everyone is involved, from your all-staters to your first-year ninth graders. They can all be there and be part of it, not just four or five guys.”
Polk has coached six Individual Finals champions and nearly 90 placers as well.
As a college wrestler, Polk qualified for the nationals three times at Olivet and was team captain his senior season. It was sometime during his junior year that he realized he wanted to remain with the sport after college.
“I just started thinking I wanted to be involved,” he said. “I didn’t know it at the time or what, but coaching was something that started interesting me. I hadn’t been involved in the sport for very long at that time. I wasn’t a youth wrestler or anything. I’m still very passionate about it.”
Polk just turned 49. He has no plans to step away from coaching anytime soon.
“I love it. I’m fortunate to be in a good place surrounded with good people. I’m still having fun. I still really enjoy it,” he said. “I’m going to keep going. I don’t know if I will be one of those guys who are in it 40-50 years, but I’m going to go for a while.”
Doug Donnelly has served as a sports and news reporter and city editor over 25 years, writing for the Daily Chief-Union in Upper Sandusky, Ohio from 1992-1995, the Monroe Evening News from 1995-2012 and the Adrian Daily Telegram since 2013. He's also written a book on high school basketball in Monroe County and compiles record books for various schools in southeast Michigan. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.
PHOTO Westland John Glenn coach Bill Polk holds up a banner honoring his 500th victory. (Photo courtesy of the Westland John Glenn athletic department.)
Soodsma Reaches 700 Boys Hoops Coaching Wins as Unity Launches Another Title Pursuit
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
February 26, 2026
HUDSONVILLE – Hudsonville Unity Christian boys basketball coach Scott Soodsma has been a fixture on the sidelines for more than 40 years.
And while he’s known as a man of faith, a fierce competitor and a coach who pours everything he has into his players, he’s most commonly known as the coach with the blue towel.
“I’ve had the same blue towel for 34 years at Unity, and it’s had holes in it and been sewed up a few times,” the 66-year-old Soodsma said. “It’s been around for a long time.”
The blue towel has been with Soodsma at every game, except for the first game this season against Grandville Calvin Christian.
“I had no idea where it was,” said Soodsma, who retired from teaching last year. “I stuck it in an old diaper bag and thought I would remember that I put it in there, but I didn’t. Luckily, my wife found it. I’ve never not had it except for that first game this year.”
The comfort of having a towel with him during games started during his first season (1983-84) at James Valley Christian, located in Huron, South Dakota.
It has been a lasting presence ever since, although the colors have changed.
“I had a pink towel when I coached girls at Unity, a yellow one at James Valley, and a maroon towel at McBain Northern Michigan Christian,” he said. “I don’t know, it’s just something I started having with me and I’ve had my wife run home from games when I've already been there and forgot it.
“I've sent her back home to get it because I didn’t want to coach without it. It’s been the thing I've been known for, for a long time.”
Soodsma had it with him when he earned his 700th career win as a boys coach in a 69-28 victory over Zeeland West on Feb. 12.
He currently is fifth on the list of winningest coaches in MHSAA boys basketball history with a 688-258 record coaching at Northern Michigan Christian and Unity.
“It’s really amazing, and I've been very blessed to be able to go the length I have gone,” Soodsma said. “There were times when I thought I was done and I was dumb enough to do girls for five years at the same time and I did one season when the girls and boys were together.
“I’ve had a lot of texts and calls from kids after the 700 wins went out in the public and those are things that make it all worthwhile, to hear the comments and the thank-yous for what you did and the part you played in their life. More valuable than that, wanting to be part of their journey and their faith as well has been a big deciding factor in why I've stayed in it.”
Soodsma, who has won over 800 games combined as a boys and girls coach, led McBain Northern Michigan Christian to the Class D boys title in 1987. He won the Division 2 championship at Unity in 2019.
He also coached Unity’s girls to the Class B crown in 2006.
“I still love it,” he said. “I love the kids and I love the competition, but over the years, most people don't realize it, but I have mellowed a lot and I think I’m in it for the right reasons because I enjoy the kids. I want to be a factor in their life, not only from a basketball perspective, but from a Christian perspective and a faith perspective. It means a lot more to me now at my age than when I was 35-40. It’s not about wins and losses anymore.”
Unity Christian senior Kyler Berguis said Soodsma has had a profound impact on his life.
In my three years of having him as my coach I’ve never had someone motivate me more to accomplish a goal we both love so much, and that is winning,” he said. “He’s an amazing motivator, always pushing kids to be their very best every single time he steps on the court, whether that is in practice, games or shootarounds, it doesn't matter.
“You will never not feel the energy that Coach brings to the court, and the crazy thing is he’s been doing it forever. He not only has pushed me in basketball but most importantly he pushes the players off the court in how to be a man of God.”
Past Crusaders standout Gabe Newhof, currently a senior at Division I James Madison in Virginia, said Soodsma’s compassion for his players runs deep.
“Coach has had an incredible impact on my development as a young man,” Newhof said. “Through the mountains and valleys of my life, he has been there for me. When I suffered an awful broken leg, he came and visited me at my house to let me know he cared.
“During my successes in college he has always been a voice of encouragement. I am so glad to have had a coach like him who truly cares about me on a much deeper level than just a player.”
Soodsma has guided this year’s squad to an Ottawa-Kent Conference Black title, which included going a perfect 12-0 in league play, and a 20-3 overall record after Wednesday night’s Division 2 District Semifinal win over host Wyoming Godwin Heights.
The Crusaders’ losses were to state-ranked Rockford, Hudsonville and Freeland. Unity hopes for a deep postseason run but has been hampered recently by sickness and without a couple of its top players.
“This has been a special group,” said Soodsma, who boasts seven seniors. “The one thing we pride ourselves on at Unity is getting better as the year progresses, and I could really see the kids stepping up.
“We knew we had some good kids coming back, but I didn’t think we were playing exceptionally well in December or early January. But in the middle of the month, I started to see some kids really take some huge strides in a lot of ways. The kids have done a great job of coming together as a team, and it’s definitely shown. We’ve been playing some of the best ball we have all year.”
Soodsma has been asked frequently over the past few years when he is going to step away from coaching and retire.
He said he takes each season one at a time, but as he gets older he doesn’t want to miss out on moments with his grandkids, who are scattered through the country.
“I evaluate after every year, and I will evaluate again after this season, but this could be it,” Soodsma said. “I always like to wait till the end of the season before I make any rash decisions.
“I have family all over the United States in Seattle, Denver and South Dakota, so I really want to spend some quality time with my grandkids before they get too old."
Dean Holzwarth has covered primarily high school sports for Grand Rapids-based WOOD-TV for five years after serving at the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years along with shorter stints at the Ionia Sentinel and WZZM. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Unity Christian boys basketball coach Scott Soodsma, kneeling, confers with his staff during his team’s 2019 Division 2 Boys Semifinal win over Ludington. (Middle) Soodsma, far right, stands for a photo with his 1987 Northern Michigan Christian Class D boys basketball champion. (Below) Soodsma maps out strategy during a break in the 2006 Division 2 Girls Basketball Final. (MHSAA file photos.)