January 29, 2018 at 2:33 p.m.
Wawrzynowicz steps down as RHS volleyball coach
Wawrzynowicz steps down as RHS volleyball coach
The Hodag coach of 18 years made her decision official late last week, emailing a resignation notice to Rhinelander activities director Brian Paulson.
"I thank the district for supporting me over the many years I have been coaching there and wish you the best of luck in finding a coach that can lead the Hodags in years to come," Wawrzynowicz said in her email, a copy of which was obtained by the River News.
When contacted Friday, Wawrzynowicz said the time was right to move on.
"I've been doing this a really long time and it was just time. I finished through the senior class that I wanted to finish through with Hope (Wissbroecker) and Ally (Seefeldt) and those kids that was seniors," she said.
Wawrzynowicz was Rhinelander's head coach from 1999-2014, taking a leave of absence in 2013 to be with her ailing husband, Henry, who passed away from complications of cancer in August of that year.
She retired for the first time following the 2014 season but came back in 2016 after her successor, Amanda Rezny, stepped down following only one season due to family reasons.
"Kathy's filled a huge role in Rhinelander volleyball for many years," Paulson said. "I think the girls that played for her would appreciate - they've told me and I hear - they appreciate everything Kathy's done for them.
"It's never been about her. It's been about the kids and the team. I think that's why she came back, to give back to the kids."
When Wawrzynowicz came back in 2016, she was only committed to the job short-term and the school had a junior varsity coach in Melanie McGuire it was grooming to take over the position. But McGuire left after one year to take a teaching position in another district, leaving the team without a clear succession plan.
Regardless, Wawrzynowicz said it's time for new blood to lead the program.
"I think this would be a good time for that to happen," she said. "With the inexperience and the youth that's going to be on the team, I think it's good for someone new to come in, work with them and hopefully be there for a while.
"I hope they're able to find someone who wants to stick around and will be with the program for a while. That's what it needs. It needs some stability. It doesn't need a different coach every other year. Hopefully they can do that and there's someone who wants to put in the time."
Paulson did not provide an exact timeline to fill the position, but said the vacancy would be posted online and in print. He added the right candidate would look to build the volleyball program from the ground up.
"We need to find somebody, like Kathy talked about, to get more of our youth program on board, running a camp to get kids interested, mirroring more of an Rhinelander Basketball Association, Rhinelander Ice Association youth programs," he said. "It would be nice to get a program going like that."
Paulson said a planned move of middle school girls' soccer from fall to spring should help build numbers within the program prior to high school and that youth volleyball supporters want to again run a Rhinelander-based traveling team for seventh and eighth graders this spring.
The Hodags posted a 30-40-3 record over the last two seasons, placing sixth in the GNC in 2016 and fifth in the GNC this past season. The Hodags were led by GNC player of the year Hope Wissbroecker, a senior, this past season.
Wawrzynowicz said two years in particular stood out among her nearly two decades on the Hodag bench. Rhinelander won its first and only conference championship in volleyball in 2012, splitting the title with Tomahawk during the height of the Hatchets dynastic run. Also, she pointed to the 2014 team, which provided her catharsis in the year following her husband's passing.
"I have some really fond memories of a lot of great athletes, great young ladies," she said. "If I left them with anything, I hope I left them as better individuals, ready to face the world and a lasting memory on them."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
Comments:
You must login to comment.