Unity Christian players shaved their heads after big playoff win

Unity Christian’s junior guards Colin Nieuwenhuis, left, and TJ Fisher pose during a practice on Friday, March 17. The duo shaved their heads to motivate their team after a big playoff victory. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).

HUDSONVILLE, Mich. - Colin Nieuwenhuis and TJ Fisher look like they should be at the Army recruiting office instead of at basketball practice.

The Hudsonville Unity Christian juniors decided to shave their heads if it meant winning a big game. And it worked.

“We both agreed that, if we won districts, we would both shave our hair,” Nieuwenhuis said. “A lot of guys on the team thought it would be funny to see that. So it gave us a little extra motivation to win districts. Not that we needed it, but it made a fun side bet.”

The Crusaders stunned Grand Rapids Catholic Central in the final seconds of a Division 2 regional semifinal for a 57-55 win and went on to win the district title by beating Wyoming Godwin Heights.

“When we played Catholic Central, we had a bet that if we won, I’d shave my head,” Fisher said. “And it kept the train going. It was worth it. We’ve got a few guys that were supposed to do it, too. But they are denying it.”

 So who else shaved their head on the team?
“So far, it’s been me, TJ and Micah Arrowsmith,” Nieuwenhuis said. “But we’re trying to get other guys to do it. We want (Dylan) Shaban to do it so he’ll finally get his hair cut. And I think (Mitch) Tibbe would look good with a buzzcut.”

Unity Christian coach Scott Soodsma got a kick out of it. Has he ever had a team do this?

“Oh yeah,” he said. “Back in the day I’ve had a couple of guys that did that. A bunch of guys shaved their heads. It’s been awhile though. It’s fine with me if they wanna do it. I won’t lose any sleep over it.”

Whatever works. Unity Christian has been on a hot streak since early February. They started the season with a dismal 7-8 record. But after beating Hamilton - the O-K Blue Conference champions - on Feb. 10, the Crusaders are 11-1.

“The turning point was when we beat Hamilton,” Nieuwenhuis said. “After that, it gave us a whole new confidence. Before we weren’t playing great. We were just playing .500 ball. It also was huge for us to win a regional on our own floor.”

Unity Christian (18-9) takes on Grand Rapids South Christian in a Division 2 quarterfinal on Tuesday at Calvin University. 

Unity Christian’s Colin Nieuwenhuis with a full head of blond hair during a preseason scrimmage in the fall of 2022. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).