By Jadon Frank

For the second season in a row women’s volleyball will have an assistant coach selected for the Female Apprentice Coach Program.

Carlee Quiring, who is studying education at the University of Regina, was one of 16 assistant coaches selected by the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association to earn a Female Apprentice Coach Program grant.

Funded by Sport Canada, the CCAA Female Apprentice Coach Program provides funding that assists female graduating student-athletes to participate in collegiate sport as apprentice coaches. The program provides grants for professional development opportunities and operational costs associated with the apprentice coach.

Last year Ashley Streuber, who was studying for her MA in marriage and family counseling at Briercrest College and Seminary, was one of 12 assistant coaches selected for the program.

Quiring will be the assistant coach for Nolan Weinmaster, coach of the women’s volleyball team.

Weinmaster was impressed with Quiring during her four seasons as a student-athlete at Briercrest. She led Briercrest in service aces her final three years en route to a Briercrest record.

“Carlee has had a huge impact on our program as a player,” Weinmaster explained. “She was one of our team captains during her final two seasons of playing and has shown great leadership ability.”

The eight-year head coach is excited to watch Quiring learn and grow alongside him this season.

“Carlee will be stepping into a larger role this year as an apprentice coach where she will be counted on to help plan and run practices and drills, help oversee our stats programs and managers, contribute to game-planning and scouting on our opponents and also be a sounding board to help with decisions on the bench during matches,” Weinmaster explained. “I expect that Carlee will grow in her leadership ability in many ways this year. I see her really improving her ability to give timely feedback to players during practices and matches as well as learning to be more vocal and confident in instructing.”

Weinmaster looks forward to seeing what she will bring to the volleyball program this year.

“I am excited to work with Carlee because I know she is passionate about volleyball, teaching and mentoring others and about our program at Briercrest,” he said. “I am excited about the leadership, organizational skills and wisdom she will contribute. She knows our systems, how we like to teach things and she has a good relationship with the players she knows already. She is well-respected by the athletes and will have a lot to offer them. I am also excited because I know she wants to take full advantage of this opportunity to be an apprentice and continue to develop as a coach and leader.”

Weinmaster believes that this year will be a good stepping stone for Quiring.

“I believe Carlee will make a great head coach one day,” he explained. “She is working on finishing up her teaching degree and I know she wants to be involved with coaching wherever she ends up teaching. Hopefully she will be a head coach in the CCAA one day and at even higher levels. If she chooses to coach at younger levels where she teaches, she will do an excellent job of developing fundamental skills in young players. My hope is that we can help her continue to become the best coach and leader she can be through this apprenticeship experience and that we can set her up for future coaching success.”

Weinmaster noted the value that Quiring brings to the team and the world at large that go beyond pure volleyball knowledge.

“Carlee is a great leader by example, which I think is so important,” he explained. “She models great character and lives out the values and characteristics we desire to see all of our athletes leave our program with. As a player, others looked up to her for this and I know that will be the case as a coach as well. She is very responsible, very organized, cares deeply about others and wants to help players grow not only as athletes, but as whole people. She is passionate about teaching and, most importantly, she is a strong follower of Jesus and wants to see athletes grow spiritually as well. I am excited for her to continue to get the opportunity to experience those things in a new leadership role here at Briercrest this season!”