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.