David Colley was never really away from the RDC Queens soccer team, so returning as head coach is no big deal.
Two years ago the long-time assistant coach took over as head coach when Jerry Gerling retired, only to see David McCarthy hired as head coach last season with Colley moving back to an assistant role.
But McCarthy, who was the Alberta Colleges Women’s Soccer League coach of the year last season, stepped down when his contract with the Red Deer major league women’s team wasn’t renewed.
So Colley was more than an obvious choice to return as the head coach.
“David (McCarthy) and I got along very well and I would have gladly worked with him again,” said Colley. “He had a different insight to the game than Jerry, so I learned from him as well.”
He was also excited about receiving a chance to take over as head man again.
“Every assistant coach wants to be the head man,” he said. “You go into coaching to be a head coach and to be able to direct the style of play.”
Colley is entering his 13th season with the Queens and gives Gerling all the credit for where he is as a coach.
“Jerry set a great foundation and without him I wouldn’t be where I am,” said Colley, who has a different challenge this year compared to the first time he took over.
“We had 16 players back when I took over from Jerry and we had only three rookies and I knew all three. This time we have about half the team back, so there will be a new challenge as I will need to build a relationship with a number of new players.”
Colley added that he’s a different coach this time as well.
“I know I made some rookie coaching mistakes the first time in terms of management,” he said. “I know our first meeting this year will be different.”
Colley believes he has a solid nucleus of veterans returning, including second-year keeper Jesse Stewart.
“She’s a key,” he said. “Her and Lauren (Good) were two of the best keepers in the league, and that’s one of the main positions.”
Good has moved on to the University of Calgary Dinos.
• Colley was one of three coaches announced Wednesday.
Michael Woollard will take over as head coach of the basketball Queens with Cody Reynolds joining the hockey Queens as an assistant coach under Trevor Keeper.
Woollard takes over from Dawn Smyth, who was granted a year’s leave of absence.
Woollard brings a wealth of experience having spent 20 years as a coach and assistant coach, including the last two with the Quest University women’s team in Squamish, B.C.
Last year they finished fourth in the PacWest Conference with a 9-7 record and 18-12 mark overall.
Last season he also worked with the B.C. 17-year-old boy’s program while coaching with the 16-year-old team in 2011.
He was with the Brandon University in 2007-08, the University of Northern B.C. in 2008-09 and Minot State University in 2009-10.
Woollard was unavailable for comment.
• Reynolds is taking over as an assistant coach with the Queens, replacing Brandin Cote, who is coaching the Bentley Generals senior team, and Laura Salomons, who is playing with the RDC squad this year.
Reynolds is in education at RDC and has his level I coaching and development certificates from Hockey Canada.
The Sylvan Lake native played with Olds, Grande Prairie and Lloydminster in the Alberta Junior Hockey League and with the OCN Blizzard in the Manitoba Junior League.
He has been the head instructor and program developer of the Sylvan Lake Summer Hockey School since 2005 and the Chinooks Edge Hockey Academy, which is based out of Sylvan Lake, since 2008.
In 2011 Reynolds received the future leader and the distinguished future leader scholarships from Hockey Alberta.
• It was also announced Wednesday RDC will host the ACAC men’s soccer championship in October and the women’s volleyball championship in February.
drode@www.reddeeradvocate.com