For the week of August 21 - 27, 2002

New coach at the helm of WR volleyball

Tim Richards only fourth 
in school history

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By JODY ZARKOS
Express Staff Writer

Hailing from Alabama, Tim Richards knows something about stepping into the shoes of a beloved coach.

A graduate of the University of Alabama-Birmingham, Richards, 43, no doubt, saw the parade of coaches at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa try and follow up the legendary success of football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant at the helm of the Crimson Tide.

Earlier this summer, Richards was named head coach of the Wood River varsity volleyball team, in the wake of Reamy Goodwin’s resignation.

In his 12-year varsity tenure, Goodwin was the winningest coach in school history, compiling a .613 winning percentage and seven district titles. He was also named SCIC Coach of the Year for the past two seasons.

Of course, Goodwin followed up Dave Neumann, who took the Wolverines to state 10 times in 12 years and won two state championships in 1977-78.

"Reamy did a nice job in his 14 years and we hope to continue on with what he started," Richards remarked.

Perhaps, Richards will become the Gene Stallings to Goodwin’s Bryant, surpassing his predecessor in winning percentage, as Stallings did, .833 to .824.

A volleyball coach for the last 20 years, Richards said he was the head coach of the men’s program at the University of Alabama-Birmingham for three years (1983-85) and assisted on the women’s team.

He went on to coach high school vollyeball in the area for eight years, amassing district championships with four different schools and collecting a state championship with Ramsay High School in 1990.

Richards takes over a Wood River squad, which won its second straight district title last season and finished 20-15 overall.

Seniors on the team are co-captain Kelsey Ballantine, Aubrey Kirtley and co-captain Whitney Richards, who is rehabbing an ACL tear and should be back by October.

Junior class members include Natalie Green, Liz Rippon, Charli Lindley, Emily Smith, Christina Arpp and Jessie King, who along with Richards, was an SCIC All-Conference player.

Athletic Syringa Stark is the sole sophomore on the varsity.

"We are kind of young," Richards said. "For a lot of the girls it is their first chance to start on varsity. We have one starter back from last season and that is Jessie King, an outside hitter."

Still shuffling his line-up around in the preseason, Richards said his players seem to have a lot of heart.

"They just work hard. They are good people and good students and fun to work with," he said.

Assessing his team’s athleticism, Richards remarked, "We seem to be steady passers. I think we will be pretty good defensively. Offense is where we are going to try and improve, to become better and more powerful hitters. We need to work on our blocking. I’d like to have our block defense score points."

The Idaho High School Activities Association has implemented new rules for this year. How they will change the game is yet to be seen.

The format is now "rally scoring" where every point counts. The new rules also allow for a "let" serve, where the ball can hit the net, but is in play if it goes over.

"It will be interesting to see," Richards said of the changes.

"I think it might allow a team to stay in the game that might not be there. You don’t have to side-out as much. Momentum will be so important."

Rules aside, Richards said a common characteristic all his teams share is they are gamers.

"All my teams play really hard. They give it all they have and that is what we are going to try and do this year."

Bear Bryant might have said the same thing.

Richards, who will teach Social Studies at WRHS while Tizz Strachan is on maternity leave, lives in Bellevue with his wife, Kim, and their four daughters, Whitney, 17, Rachael 15, Hannah 14, and Lily 7.

Gary Carr, head coach of the junior varsity, has 11 players on his squad this season; Koree Hawks, Allie Sherbine, Elle Reese, Barbara Ann Coleman, Stacy Bahrenfus, Melinda Markin, Ashley Smith, Rachael Richards, Maddie Thies, Sarah Johnson, and Lisa Nielsen.

The ninth-grade team with Hannah Richards, Kourtney King, Brooke Hand, Ryann Menges, Lauren Parsons, Stephanie Weller, Lindsey Durkin, Jackie Safran, Stephanie Yates and Jamie Stone is headed up by Wood River alum Dena Babcock.

 

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