MAY 6,20 15 • CLACKAMAS PRINT
Longtime
coach sets
up for
retirement
Kathie Woods, far right, laughs with her players during the Alumni Tournament
in the Randall Hall gym on April 25. The tournament was Woods* last game
coaching at C C L
7
Story and photo by Jack Spencer
H e ad v o lle y b a ll c o a c h K a th ie
W oods is retiring a fte r 32 years o f
success on th e sidelines fo r Clack
am as C o m m u n ity College, having
h o iste d th e c h a m p io n s h ip tro p h y
tw ic e fo r th e Cougars in 1 9 96 and
2 0 0 4 . She also racked up an NWAC
record 8 3 6 wins. She w ill retire as
th e sixth w inningest volleyball coach
In th e history o f ju n io r college a th
letics and firs t in th e NWAC.
CCC re tire s m o re th a n ju s t th e
w in n in g e st coach in NWAC history,
it also retires a coach w h o is beloved
by everyone In th a t program .
“ Kathie is a coach th a t really un
derstands th a t th e re ’s m ore m em
ories th a t you can m ake th a n th e
games you w in and lose, there’s also
th e frien dsh ips th a t you m ake and
th e thin gs th a t you do,” said fo rm e r
CCC volleyball player Rhea Cardwell.
It was apparent W oods knew how
to make friends w ith everyone in the
program , especially he r players. On
Saturday, April 25, CCC hosted its an
nual alum ni volleyball to u rn a m e n t
Am ong the participants were form er
players o f W ood s fro m each o f her
32 seasons as head coach. The to u r
na m ent tu rn e d into a celebration o f
all o f W oods’ accomplishments, both
on and o ff th e court. Form er players
w e n t head to head w ith th e South
ern Region Cham pionship tea m o f
th is year a n d c o m p e tito rs shared
stories a b o u t th e ir coach.
“Over som e holiday weekend th a t
th e re was, w e had to call each o th
er because w e have a w o rk o u t w e
w ere supposed to do,” said fo rm e r
CCC v o lle y b a ll p la y e r K ath y Col
lins-Johnson. “W e had to call each
o th e r a n d ask qu estio ns, d id you
d o you r this, d id you d o you r th a t
w o rkou t, d id you d o your th is th e n
a t th e e n d you had to say ‘I love
you you’re ugly.’ W h o could fo rg e t
kisses fro m you r coach? W hen w e
w o u ld travel to th e hotel she w o u ld
com e around w ith chocolate kisses,
she w o u ld ha nd you a big bag o f
chocolate kisses and say ‘kisses from
you r coach.’”
The stories w e n t on and on, fro m
w a te r slides ou tside Randall Hall to
W oods show ing o ff her dance skills
d u rin g a gam e. The praise w e n t on
a n d on as w e ll. Every p la ye r ha d
s o m e th in g to say a b o u t h o w she
was th e m o st caring and beloved
coach th e y ever played for.
“ Playing fo r Kathie cha ng ed m y
life a n d I th in k she’s ch a n g e d so
m any lives and m ade everyone bet
te r p e o p le ,” said fo rm e r CCC v o l
leyball player an d assistant coach
H eather Martin.
It was am azing to hear w h a t th e
players had to say ab ou t the ir coach.
T h irty -tw o seasons is a lo t o f d if
fe re n t team s to coach and W oods
knew every player fro m every tea m
and could probably tell you th e ir fa
vorite flavor o f Ice cream. She knew
th e m th a t well.
“ M ost pe op le retire because th e y
fin d it rough o r th e y fin d it hard o r
th e y ju st g e t tire d ,” said W oods. “ I
don’t have any o f that, I love it, I love
it. It’s going to be sad, I’m going to
be really sad b u t you can’t coach for
ever. I to ld m yself eventually ‘Kathie
you have to stop, you w o n a cham
p io n s h ip it w a s h a rd g e ttin g th a t
back lets go o u t on to p .’"
D e spite h e r re tire m e n t, W o o d s
plans on spending tim e around th e
team . CCC pro ud ly retires an am az
ing head volleyball coach.