Chris Wandler will be joining the coaching staff of Olds College, lending his experience to the institution's push to become a member of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference.
Wandler will be assuming the coaching duties of the women's volleyball team next summer, but has already started recruiting the type of players he has in mind to build a successful team. Wandler has spent nine years as assistant coach with the Red Deer College Queens volleyball program, 12 years as a provincial team coach and 15 seasons with Notre Dame High School in Red Deer.
“It's quite exciting on my part to build it from the ground up, to get the right type of people involved in the program. I'm pretty grateful for the opportunity,” he said.
Wandler said he believes Olds College is on the right track with Amanda Clarke as the current coach of the women's volleyball team, who will be staying on.
“She's going to help out a ton. She has a really good insight of the girls that are there now and what they can offer next year,” he said.
While Wandler won't begin coaching until July, he has already started recruiting efforts for players who will work hard and are willing to learn.
“All those experiences I've built up over the last 10 to 15 years (have given) me a large bank of ideas of what it's going to take to be successful at Olds,” he said.
Olds College currently plays in the Alberta Colleges Athletic League, but is working on an application to move up to the ACAC in golf, volleyball and soccer. Olds College has already been accepted to compete at the ACAC level in basketball beginning next year.
“We're trying to move the level of our program up to ACAC expectations, which would involve really taking that program to more of a professional … atmosphere. (Wandler) will be given the rein to develop the ACAC program,” said Greg Lendvay, coordinator of health and wellness at the college and women's basketball coach.
The college will be submitting an application to the ACAC for those sports this month. It will be followed by an on-site evaluation by ACAC officials and then a vote by the ACAC council. The college is asking that its application be fast-tracked to allow those sports to compete at the ACAC level next year rather than the normal time frame of 2013-14.
“The council would have to feel that, A, we're ready and B, that we could be competitive. They would have to vote in favour of us being accepted early,” Lendvay said.
Lendvay said if Olds College's application is accepted, it will allow the college to possibly compete for a national championship in those sports. Games in the relevant sports could possibly be streamed over the web, as the ACAC offers that option.
“It's really going to showcase what we are and who we are as a college,” he said.
"It's quite exciting on my part to build it from the ground up, to get the right type of people involved in the program. I'm pretty grateful for the opportunity."Chris Wandler, new women's volleyball coach, Olds College
