Scott Walter Kawall
Baseball/Coach (1985-1987)
Waubonsee all-time record holder in career stolen bases
Skyway Conference All-Academic, Knapp Scholarship winner, participant in Region IV All-Star at Wrigley Field
NCAA Division I baseball scholarship to University of San Diego
More than two decades in higher education helping others find the right career
The saying “speed versus mass, speed wins every time” could aptly describe former Chiefs’ baseball player Scott Kawall. What the fleet-footed outfielder may have lacked in size, he more than made up for with speed, agility and perfect timing.
Kawall graduated in 1985 from Naperville Central High School, where he was primarily used as a pinch runner. He enrolled at Waubonsee and made an impact immediately. A two-year starter for the Chiefs, Kawall set a Waubonsee record by swiping 39 bases his freshman year. The following season, with every opponent’s radar tracking his every move, he led all of Region IV with 51 stolen bases, a Waubonsee record that stood until 2013. His career mark of 90 thefts has never been approached, and he also holds the Chiefs’ record for walks in a season and a career. Kawall’s on-base percentage of .531 in 1987 is still in the top five in Waubonsee’s record book. A Rex C. Knapp Memorial Scholarship recipient, he went on to represent Waubonsee at the 1987 Region IV All-Star game held at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
Kawall also achieved Academic All-Conference honors en route to earning an associate degree from Waubonsee. He then accepted a baseball scholarship from the University of San Diego (USD), an NCAA Division I program. He played two years for the Toreros and earned a bachelor’s degree from USD in history/education in 1992. Kawall returned to Waubonsee where he worked as the college’s intramural director while helping coach both baseball and softball. Kawall served as Kishwaukee College’s head softball coach while earning a Master of Science degree from Northern Illinois University in Adult and Continuing Education. For more than 20 years he has helped people find the right career path at Waubonsee, ITT Technical Institute, Westwood College and Northwestern College in Chicago where he was the director of Admissions. Kawall currently is the college director at ITT Technical Institute, overseeing the administration of the entire campus. In addition he operates his own consulting business helping student-athletes find scholarships and the right educational fit for them.
“Waubonsee gave me an opportunity to thrive,” recalls Kawall. “From the people I encountered, the coaches, my teammates, several who I’m still good friends with, to the fact that I even met my wife there. Waubonsee opened doors for me that otherwise weren’t there.” Kawall and his wife Kim live in Somonauk with their daughters Madison, Lauren and Ashlee, who was on Waubonsee’s softball team last spring. Over the last two decades he has served as a baseball, softball and basketball coach for the Somonauk Summer Recreation League. In addition he has been a member of the Northern Illinois Thunder coaching staff since 2010, working as an assistant coach and head coach. As a matter of fact, he led the Thunder’s 18 and under team to a top five national ranking in 2012.