Impactful Influence: Remembering Kurt Zuidmulder

Many people have come and gone through my life. Like a revolving door, but it doesn’t matter how long they stayed in my life. To me, it only matters on how they made an impact on me. I think about Kurt Zuidmulder every day, he was a coach, teacher, and father. He was also a friend to the whole community of Hermantown, MN, and Hibbing, MN. He was the greatest human I have ever met, and I will never forget him. Kurt affected me through his larger than life personality, his incredible sense of humor, and his overall kindness.

Kurt had a larger than life personality, I got to see it through the years of me managing high school football, basketball, and baseball. During basketball games, I would always hear him in the stands. I look back and

remember one of the most important games we ever played in. Quarterfinals in the state tournament, first time Hermantown ever went to state in school history. It was a “chippy” game against St. Paul Johnson, fans in the stands were yelling at the refs in the historic “Barn” or Williams Arena at the University of Minnesota. An exceptional bad call was made on Kole Zuidmulder, Kurt’s only son. In the packed Barn, the fans start to boo, but I hear one distinct voice out of the crowd of thousands, Kurt. He was yelling at the refs to “OPEN YOUR EYES! THAT’S NOT A FOUL. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.” Of course, that didn’t change the ref’s decision, and Hermantown ended up losing by 3. I can think of a thousand more examples, but this next one sticks out to me. Kurt never had a filter he said what was on his mind. During a baseball game, I was in the dugout taking stats and he was sitting next to me and another coach. One very bad call was made and he turned and told me to act like I don’t hear this next part. Looking over at the other coach, he lets out a full line of explicit words. I just sat there shaking my head, smiling at the man I admired so much. Some of my favorite memories of Kurt involve sports, because no matter what he was always going to be there for Kole supporting him.
Along with Kurt’s larger than life personality he had a great humor to go with it.

Whenever I was around him I was guaranteed a giggle or two. For example, we know the Hump Day commercial, “Mike, Mike, Mike what day is it... HUMP DAAAYYY!” This was Kurt’s famous saying, as the head coaches for baseball were the same assistant coaches for football they both had names that started with Mike. Wednesday practices would start by hearing Kurt 100 yards away saying, “Mike, Mike, Mike guess what day is it… HUMP DAAAYYY!” and it was spot on from the commercial. That never failed to put a smile on my face. Kurt also liked to exaggerate things to the extreme. For example, the Hermantown High School is getting a new school added on. Kurt had parking lot duty in the morning, so he would drink his cup of coffee with the head construction worker. One game in Cloquet, Kurt kept trying to tell me that school was going to be let out early because everything was ahead of schedule and they wanted everyone out. I being very gullible, believed every word. Of course though it wasn’t true and the head coach Zags, laughing at the fact I believed him, was bickering with Kurt about the school. Zags kept saying, “Why do you do this? Spreading false rumors like that, making kids believe.” In the end, we all had a good laugh because we knew Kurt was just being himself. Making everyone

laugh.
Kurt also had a huge heart and was caring.

It didn’t matter who you are either he was always willing to talk and help out when he could. This next example happens to be right after Kurt’s bowl of lies on the new school. I was talking with the other baseball manager, Michelle, on how I really wanted a chocolate frosty. Kurt must have overheard me, because during the second game Kerrie, Kurt’s loving wife, comes in the dugout with a chocolate frosty from Wendy’s. Kerrie hands it to me and Kurt sends a wink my way. He had so much kindness in his heart, and sometimes it just the little things he would do that made a huge difference. For example, I was sitting next to Michelle in the baseball dugout. Kurt walked by waving his hand with a huge smile on his face saying, “Hi ladies!” in a tone that was higher up in his range that made it funny yet it was still genuine. Which was the kind of person he was, kind, genuine and

funny.
I don’t think I will ever forget the afternoon of May 27th, 2015. That was a day that changed many lives. More importantly, though, I won’t forget the life of Kurt Zuidmulder. I won’t forget what he stood for and essence he brought to a room. So when I feel sad and angry about his spirit leaving us too early, I’ll think of what he meant to me and how he affected my life. Kurt affected me through many of his attributes, but mainly it was his larger than life personality, his sense of humor and his kindness.