Kevin Newsome Basketball Courts
The basketball courts at the Swarthmore-Rutledge School (SRS) are named after the late Kevin Newsome: husband, father, educator, coach, and extraordinary volunteer with the Swarthmore Recreation Association (SRA).
Kevin’s efforts to convert the old, unused tennis courts at SRS elementary school into new basketball courts were herculean. He raised all of the money for the project himself—first convincing some local businesses and other donors to contribute to the project, then organizing a golf tournament at Springhaven Club to raise the balance of the money. But it wasn’t just the money. His charming nature enabled him to convince 20 to 25 Swarthmore dads to volunteer numerous summer and fall Saturdays in 2015—cleaning up the site, then blacktopping it, and putting the baskets and bleachers in place. It was a labor of love that was completed by the first Saturday in November 2015. By mid-afternoon that day, the courts were buzzing with activity and have been ever since.
Kevin Newsome was born in Santa Cruz, California and played college basketball at Sonoma State in California. After his college playing days ended, Kevin was bitten by the coaching bug and coached at every level imaginable—ranging from the Narberth League and at Marple Newtown High School to being a college assistant coach at Fort Hays State in Kansas and then a head coach at two Philadelphia area schools, Wilmington College and then at Gwynedd-Mercy College.
In addition to coaching, Kevin worked as physical education teacher and summer camp counselor for 30 years at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health in West Chester. In addition to holding his bachelor’s degree from Sonoma State, Kevin earned his high school principal’s certification at Cabrini University.
While at Cabrini, he met the love of his life, Carin. Kevin and Carin were married in 2001 and they had two children, Andrew and Ellie. Kevin loved being a husband and father and nothing gave him greater joy than watching Andrew and Ellie play sports.
Kevin was also extremely involved in the Swarthmore Recreation Association (SRA). He served on the SRA board and coached countless children in SRA youth sports. Kevin was awarded SRA’s 2016 “Volunteer of the Year” Award for his efforts in conceiving and then leading the fundraising, planning, and building of the SRS basketball courts.
Kevin passed away on February 7, 2023, at the age of 66.
