The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association is proud to announce its participants for the 2016-17 Female Apprentice Coach Program from the Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST):
UFV Cascades
Apprentice: Katie Wuttunee
Mentor: Michael Gilray
Katie Wuttunee, a recent CIS graduate from the University of British Columbia – Okanagan, returns to the CCAA as an apprentice in the PACWEST.
The former Capilano Blues player joins the UFV Cascades Women’s Volleyball team coaching staff after winning a bronze medal at the 2016 CIS Women’s Volleyball Championship last March.
“Any time a CCAA institution can develop young female coaches it is a bonus for the Association,” said Steve Tuckwood, Director of Athletics and Campus Recreation at UFV. “If given the opportunity, female coaches can deliver at the highest level and I am hopeful that is what Katie will find here at UFV.”
After her rookie season at Capilano Univerity, Wuttunee transfered to UBC-Okanagan, where she would become an integral part of a program that was slowly on the rise.
“Playing volleyball as a student-athlete for five years is an experience I will never forget, or take for granted,” she said.
Wuttunee suited up for Team BC at the Canada Summer Games in 2013 and that’s where, for the first time, she began to see her leadership role develop. Then, in her final two seasons at UBC-Okanagan, her game really took off. She was named a conference All-Star in her fourth year and a CIS All-Canadian and National tournament All-Star last season.
“I used my leadership to calm others down and make everyone feel comfortable under pressure as best as I could,” she said.
Wuttunee has coaching experience at different levels (U11 and U16) and has also coached at the Vancouver Center of Excellence. Coaching at the CCAA level will help her to pursue her career goals and Wuttunee aspires to be a role model for the student-athletes.
“I know from my experience as a player just how important it is to have a female in the coaching staff,” said Wuttunee. “Past female coaches I have had have been pivotal to my development.”
She is looking forward to working with head coach Michael Gilray.
“Coaching has always been a very rewarding experience for me, and to get the opportunity to coach the volleyball team at UFV in the CCAA under a coach like Mike is a rare and exciting opportunity for a fresh graduate,” she said.
Gilray believes Wuttunee’s experience playing in the CCAA and CIS will significantly help his players and coaching staff grow in 2016-17.
“I am excited to mentor Katie because I see a great passion for the sport and a thirst for more knowledge from the coaching side,” said Gilray. “I am also excited for the renewed energy and knowledge that a qualified protégé brings to the mentorship relationship.”
VIU Mariners
Apprentice: Tylar Turnbull
Mentor: Shane Hyde
Last March, Tylar Turnbull capped off her five-year career at VIU by capturing gold at the 2016 CCAA Women’s Volleyball National Championship in Charlottetown, PEI.
Now, Turnbull will join her former coach, Shane Hyde, on the bench at VIU as an apprentice with the Mariners.
“Tylar is exactly the type of person who would make an excellent head coach in the future,” said Bruce Hunter, former Athletic Director at VIU. “She has always led by example and is highly respected by her coaches and teammates.”
Turnbull was a team captain during her last two seasons at VIU and she has also earned some valuable coaching experience along the way.
“By coaching youth camps and various youth teams in the community, I have been able to expand my knowledge and develop as an athlete myself while also gaining the experience helping younger athletes,” she said.
Turnbull, who led the Mariners to a CCAA National Championship in 2012 as well, is also a two-time CCAA All-Canadian.
Turnbull, who currently works as an Outreach Worker in Nanaimo, BC, believes this coaching opportunity will only help her as she transitions into her career.
“Coaching will give me a little more experience with helping others not only on the court but also off the court, within the community and how they represent themselves and the school,” said Turnbull. “I am an individual who greatly benefits from being there for others and helping them, which is exactly what I am doing for work and coaching is just another way to add to the experience.”
Meanwhile, Hyde is thrilled to get the opportunity to be a CCAA mentor. He credits a lot of his success to the guidance he received from his own mentor, Rick Bevis. Through Bevis, Hyde learned how to overcome pressure situations, deal with team conflict as well as team organization, parts of the game that are not taught in the manuals or clinics.
“Being mentored by Rick allowed me to be exposed to situations that I may not have known how to deal with,” said Hyde. “I was able to watch and learn how to deal with players, how to talk to them, how to motivate them and how to prepare them.”
In 15 years as the head coach at VIU, Hyde has guided the Mariners to 10 PACWEST Championships and three CCAA National Championships. He has twice been named the CCAA Coach of the Year and was the recipient of the CCAA Coaching Excellence award in 2008.
The last five seasons, Hyde has had the pleasure of coaching Turnbull.
“I have watched Tylar develop from a high school volleyball star into a very confident, professional female leader and in her five years in the CCAA she has been a standout on and off the court,” he said. “She has been a great ambassador to female student athletes and she has become a great role model for our community.”
Hyde believes that with his guidance, Turnbull could become a great female coach.
“Good female coaches are so important in women’s sport,” said Hyde. “For our program to have a female athlete of Tylar’s status to come back to the program and pass on the expertise to our athletes is amazing.”
