K-Christian's Fletcher Brought Calm, Kindness
October 13, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The calm in a storm. The rock, no matter how bad things would get.
That’s how longtime athletic administrator Karen Leinaar described Ken Fletcher, who served as director of Kalamazoo Christian’s athletic department for three decades and was among those from the Kalamazoo Valley Association who mentored Leinaar when she served at Delton Kellogg during the 1980s and 90s.
Fletcher died Sept. 25 at age 77.
He had spent 40 years total in education, also as a teacher and coach, before retiring in 2006.
“Anytime we had an issue in the league, he was the calming voice, he was the voice or reason,” said Leinaar, now athletic director at Bear Lake and executive director of the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. “Being a mathematician, he was a very logical thinker – but he had the compassion of a priest.
“You never saw Ken disheveled. You never saw Ken frustrated. He always had a smile and kind word for everybody – it didn’t matter the color of their uniform or if it was an official or spectator.”
Fletcher had graduated from Kalamazoo Christian in 1961 and was part of the boys basketball team that won the Class C championship in 1959. He went on to Calvin College (now Calvin University), where he majored in mathematics and earned a degree in education, and also continued his basketball and baseball careers. He later received master’s degrees in in athletic administration from University of Michigan and mathematics from Western Michigan University.
Kalamazoo Christian’s boys basketball team also won Class C championships in 1983 and 2001 during Fletcher’s AD tenure. But Leinaar noted that Fletcher was a great advocate as well for the school’s girls programs, which often were more frequently successful – the softball team, for example, won six MHSAA Finals titles over seven seasons from 1996-2002. “He just loved kids,” she added.
Fletcher was named his region’s Athletic Director of the Year by the MIAAA in 1989.
He is survived in part by his wife of 56 years, Judy, three children and 14 grand- and great-grandchildren. Click to view Fletcher’s full obituary.
PHOTOS collected by the Fletcher family.
Boyne City Public Schools Receives MIAAA's Exemplary Athletic Program Award
February 3, 2026
The Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAAA) has named Boyne City Public Schools as a recipient of the 2026 MIAAA Exemplary Athletic Program Award.
The award will be formally presented to Boyne City athletic director Matt Windle on March 15 during the MIAAA Annual Business Meeting at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa.
Established in 1998, the MIAAA Exemplary Athletic Program Award recognizes high school athletic programs across Michigan that model excellence, equity, and educationally sound practices. The program was created to identify and publicly recognize outstanding athletic programs, provide a framework for voluntary self-assessment, promote the sharing of best practices statewide, and encourage continued improvement in Michigan’s high school athletic programs.
Boyne City Public Schools becomes the 24th athletic program recognized over the past 25 years and only the 14th program honored during the last two decades, underscoring the selectivity and prestige of the Exemplary Athletic Program Award.
As part of the evaluation process, the MIAAA Exemplary Athletic Program Committee conducted a three-day on-site visit in the fall, meeting with district administrators, coaches, student-athletes, parents, and support staff. The visit provided committee members with the opportunity to review and share Boyne City’s vision, goals, and systems supporting a comprehensive, equitable, and education-based athletic program.
Boyne City athletics was selected following a thorough assessment and review process examining program structure, leadership practices, equity initiatives, sportsmanship, and the ways in which the athletic program serves its various constituents. Exemplary programs demonstrate sustained success in advancing the emotional, social, moral, and physical growth of all participants while reinforcing the core values of interscholastic athletics.
The 2026 recognition places Boyne City Public Schools among a distinguished group of athletic programs statewide that have demonstrated consistent excellence since the award’s inception.
Boyne City athletic director Matt Windle said of the award: “This recognition reflects the collective effort of so many people who care deeply about providing meaningful opportunities for our student-athletes. Our coaches, staff, administrators, families, and community consistently put students first and work together to create an environment rooted in growth, accountability, and support.
“We are proud of the culture that exists within Boyne City athletics and grateful for the opportunity to serve students through education-based athletics.”
(Photos by Kishba Media.)