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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 23, 2008)
Clackamas Print Sports 7 Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2008 loach inspiring students for 25 years 1974-75 season. J Kathie Woods has year is filled with longstanding team tra ditions. They include going to the beach for a team retreat and ... a Kentucky Fried Chicken bucket? “Every year there is the annual scav enger hunt,” Schiely explained. “(Team members] are given a set time limit. They have to have their fingernails painted red and blue. They have to bring back a KFC bucket, a pizza box ... all sorts of crazy things!” This year, the team had fun in the pre season by setting up a giant Slip ‘n Slide on the hill next to the track. “Everyone was sliding down on inflat ed . air mattresses, and Kathie was just sitting there in an inflatable kiddie pool on the side,” Schiely recalled. “It was so much fun! “The team loves going on the merry- go-round in Spokane; or if we see a swing set, Kathie will make the team squish on, and no one’s feet can touch the ground. We are always having fun together.” Breaking it down been coaching at Clackamas for a quarter of a century and still loves every minute of it ) fl idrea Simpson rts Editor ledicated. Hardworking. Hilarious, lesepre just a few words that Head :yball Coach Kathie Woods’ col- les Ke to describe her. »ot many have worked in the ath- . department as long as Woods. She debating 25 years of coaching at kamas. rood^ has led the volleyball team for 5 of those years, and in the ’80s she ned men’s tennis until the program dropped. have always been involved in ath- i.j, and not just volleyball,” she said, ive a passion for it, I guess. I just ved mat the next step after competi tor wyself was to be a coach. That I could still be involved in competi- i It was the natural thing to do.” oods grew up in Dallas, Ore., and uated Ffrom Dallas High School r?74. She went on to Oregon State • ersity,; where she earned a Bachelor cience degree in Physical Education Administration in 1978 and then aed with a Master of Education in 'hileat Oregon State she was a multi athlete, playing for the OSU vol- all ¿earn during the 1974-76 seasons, -ell,.as. the softball team during the Woods started coach ing freshman volleyball at Lakeridge High School in the course of her student teach ing. “I got my teaching certi fication as something to fall back on as advice from my parents,” she said. “I never even imagined that I would love to teach as much as I do. “Teaching and coaching are so much alike. I love breaking things down and trying new ways to explain things. I love to tell real-life stories in my teaching because I think it helps to relate to the topic bet ter when it is something that has been experienced.” Assistant Coach Lindsay Schiely, who is also a former Clackamas volleyball player, agrees that Woods’ coaching style differs from most. “Kathie is a good motiva- W00DS tor,” Schiely said. “She is not the type of coach to sit and yell or be angry at players to get a response. She motivates through positive reinforce ment, and she never gives up on trying to correct mistakes.” Woods is also an active member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She ini tiated the chapter at Clackamas, and last year was chosen as FCA College Coach of the Year for the Portland metropolitan area. On and off the court Woods doesn’t simply encourage her team members to improve as players; their asketball wins yer weekend, uilds confidence Accepting the answers nature as people is just as important. “She believes in her players and push es them to be the best,” Schiely said. “She stresses being a better person, which is not common for most coaches.” Tracy Swisher, a sports photographer on campus, said, “Kathie stresses her phi losophy in giving 100 percent in school, volleyball and life. Her athletes work hard at becoming not only better vol leyball players, but also on character development and showing respect in all of life’s situations.” But although Woods, knows how to play hard on the court and in life, she is well-known for hej. sense of humor. Each Wrestling prepares for yet anoth er successful season on the mats Dale Balbi The Clackamas Print legan Koler he Glackamas Print Hen’s and women’s bas- t>all both found victory i past weekend. The men’s basketball n defeated Southwestern gon 96 to 91, while the nen’s team defeated their ithwestern counterpart, ; Lakers, 74 to 68. These games brought the 1’s team’s standings up to in league play - 12-8 in son play - and the wom- ? team’s standings up to in league play -13-6 in son play. although the stand- s leave something to be ired; both coaches are mistic that their teams continue to improve and I This year’s team is very g and inexperienced,” Men’s Basketball Coach Wegner. “It is still ing itself and growing; ning to play together and consistently.” he women’s team has i facing its own chal- ess including numerous er changes over thé last months and the addition ill sports athletes. With all of these chang- he team is still try- to find its identity and h with each other,” said Women’s Basketball Coach Jim Martineau. “In compari son to past teams ... we are probably down a little in overall talent, but we have a trio of sophomores lead ing the group who work extremely hard to get bet ter.” This trio consists of play ers Rachel Copeland, Kelsey New and Monique Tribble. Talent seems to come in threes on the men’s team as well. According to Wegner, David Fife, JC Cook and Austin Dunn are all making significant contributions to the team this year. The team as a whole seems to flourish at passing and shooting, he said. The women’s team has on their side a great ability to keep defending during poor offensive possessions and Kelsey New, the team’s co captain who has an affinity for shooting three-pointers. The next game for the men’s basketball team is today in Gresham against Mt. Hood at 7:30 p.m. The next home game will be against Umpqua at 6 p.m. on Jan. 26. The women’s team will also face off against Mt. Hood today at 5:30 p.m. in Gresham, and will play Umpqua in a home game at 4 p.m. on Jan. 26. So how does Kathie look back on her 25 years at Clackamas? “I still coach because I love young people and I have a passion for coach ing,” she said. “I love competition. I feel competition brings out so much in a person. Competition helps in the develop ment of character. “I do love my teams — every single one of them - no matter if we win or lose. I ac cept every team as a direct answer to prayer. Every year I pray for exactly the team God wants me to have. Then I feel a responsibility for each team to do the best I can at helping them grow as a per son and as a student and as a volleyball player. They may not realize it or not, but they are my life.” The Clackamas wrestling team is on the rise. As the Cougar wrestlers engaged in the at-home match between C lackamas and South West Community College on Friday, Jan. 11, the crowd was quiet. The coach shouted instructions such as “Move your feet” and “Hands on head” while both wrestlers tried to get an advantage on their opponent. The Cougars won the meet 32-6. It is one of the team’s many victories so far this season. Head Coach Josh Rhoden is proud of the Cougars’ recent performance, as well as of the individual players’ standings. “Three of our wrestlers are in the top eight in the country,” he said, “and the team is in the top 10 out of 50 teams.” The region that the Cougars are in is the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). Rhoden has high expectations for the team. “We want to do better than fifth in the nation and have at least six academic All-Americans,” he said. Clackamas has five returning wrestlers from last season. They are Jim Halicki; Mike Beeson; Vance Beeson, who is ranked sixth in the country; Derrick Bartiemay, who is ranked seventh in the nation; and John Bates, who is ranked an impressive second over all. Both Bates and Bartiemay were All-Americans in the previous season. Thus far this year, the wrestling team has made some strides. “We had four losses last year, and there is a very good chance that they can improve that,” Rhoden said. Rhoden is extremely pleased with the timely pro gression of his team. “The effort and focus are at high levels,” he said. “There is lots of potential to continue our success in the future,” he added. The wrestlers have their own personal expectations. Take Bates, for example: “My goals are to win a national title and graduate in die spring,” he said. What is the key ingredient to Bates’ success? “My coaches and my workout partner, Nigel Bond.” he said. Bond is a freshman at Clackamas. Both he and Bates weigh in at 285 pounds. Among the components of the team’s overall achievement is its members' emotional closeness. “We are united as a team,” Bates said. Photos by Genyva Laubach Clackamas Print ABOVE: Coach Rhoden (right) yells instructions to a Clackamas wrestler on the mat. RIGHT: A Clackamas wrestler throws off an opponent.
