Teacher Mark Watt is retiring this school year after 20 years of teaching at Lincoln Southwest High School. Watt was one of the original teachers at Southwest when the school first opened in 2002. 

“I’ve tried to have high standards and just keep kids active. I’ve tried to make it so kids were enjoying what they were doing,” Watt said. “It’s been a lot of fun, teaching keeps you young and I’ve really enjoyed it.”

Watt coached the Southwest softball team during his tenure at the school. Watt, the only coach in the school’s history, has the winningest record of any softball coach in the state with a record of 529-228. Watt led the team to four Class A State Championships, with three runner-up finishes as well.

“The one thing I think of when I think of coach Watt is professional in the way he conducts himself and professional from the standpoint that he knows the game of softball and can teach it,” Athletic Director Mark Armstrong “In my experience with working with him, he’s done a lot with trying to make kids better people, better potential moms, better potential employees, and better potential employers.”

Watt organized the first blood drive the school ever had in his first year and has organized every blood drive in the school’s history since. Watt has taught weight training, team sports and fitness for life during his time at Southwest and served as the P.E. department chair.

“From day one of Southwest opening in 2002 he’s worked to create what I would call a culture of success,” Athletic Director Mark Armstrong said. “Whether that’s working with kids in the offseason to help build them up and train them or to be successful softball players at Southwest, creating a culture of success is what he has done.”