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WATERLOO SCHOOLS WELCOME NEW HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL COACHES TO EAST AND WEST

WATERLOO, IA— Pending Board approval, both East and West High Schools are thrilled to be welcoming new varsity volleyball coaches to Waterloo Schools for the 2023-2024 school year. Coach Grace Patterson will be coaching for Waterloo East, and Coach Chris Hagness will be coaching for Waterloo West. 

About Grace Patterson

Grace is a 2019 graduate from Waterloo West where she played volleyball for four years. In May she will graduate from the University of Northern Iowa with her bachelor’s degree in sports public relations. 

“I am so excited to join the Trojan family and continue coaching high school athletes,” said Patterson. “I look forward to continuing to build the program in the new conference. Go Trojans!” 

Patterson served as the assistant varsity volleyball coach at Waterloo West for one year and as the head sophomore volleyball coach for two years. She also has served as the head club volleyball coach for numerous years. 

“We are excited about coach Patterson stepping into the role as East High’s head volleyball coach. Her experience as a former player and coach at the high school level, as well as club experience, will bring energy and continue to help develop a championship mindset within the volleyball program,” said Tim Moses, Waterloo East athletic director.

About Chris Hagness

Chris Hagness is a Wisconsin native and graduate of the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire.  Hagness completed his Ph.D. and residency at Mayo Clinic and has worked for MercyOne Waterloo since 2004. Hagness has operated a volleyball club in Waterloo since 2019, coaching several teams of fifth through twelfth graders. 

“I am looking forward to coaching these outstanding ladies and growing the Wahawk program. I have lived and worked next door to West High for 18 years, and am excited to build upon the Wahawk legacy,” said Hagness. “I am most looking forward to building a competitive culture and generating enthusiasm for the volleyball program. We will be hitting the ground running this summer.”

The Wahawks are scheduled to compete in five days of varsity team camps this summer and will host a two-day high school camp on August 1-2, and a three-day camp for fifth through eighth graders on August 14-16. Camps hosted at Waterloo West are open to players from all area schools.

“Coach Hagness has a passion for volleyball, and his past experiences demonstrate that he will develop a structured program that will help our young Wahawks develop on and off the court,” said Tom Ulses, Waterloo West athletic director. “We are excited about bringing Coach Hagness into the Wahawk coaching family.”

Waterloo Schools Mission

The Waterloo Schools community commits to a comprehensive system of education and support to assure that each and every student will graduate prepared for college, career, and citizenship as evidenced by continuing education, pursuing a career path, and contributing to a community. 

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Reading 20 Minutes a Day: The Impact of a Lifetime

Did you know that a child who begins reading with a loved one for only twenty minutes a day in kindergarten will hear approximately 1.8 million words a year? And then, if the child continues reading twenty minutes a day up to sixth grade, they will have collectively read for 851 hours! Just imagine how many worlds, experiences, and stories 1.8 million words can create. 

Children’s books such as Rainbow Fish, Oh the Places You’ll Go, and Stacey’s Extraordinary Words, inspire students at a young age to explore their imaginations and create excitement and kindness throughout their lives. Later on, young adult fiction stories like, You Should See Me in a Crown, Turtles all the Way Down, and Tuck Everlasting, give readers a resounding message of ‘You are not alone,’ in a time when young people need to hear it the most.

“Reading is relaxing,” commented Roxxane Kincaid, West High Library Clerk. “Books can take you into your own world and take you anywhere you want to go. With books, everyone can relate to their own experiences.” Edna Kovac, West High Student and Library Co-op Participant, agreed, adding, “Yes! I feel like reading helps calm me down when I’m stressed.”

In addition to helping teens and children learn more about the world around them, reading for twenty minutes a day is also shown to help improve reading skills as measured by the school’s standardized tests. 

Thankfully, our schools’ Media Specialists are ready to help our students each step of the way, finding books and authors that are relatable, informative, and geared toward students’ individual reading preferences. 

West High School: Edna Kovac, Sierra Meeks, Alyssa Bruecken, and Roxanne Kincaid

“Students look for books that reflect their experiences,” said Bruecken, Library Integrationist. 

 

East High School: Meghan Sullivan & Denise George

“Reading helps students feel more connected, less isolated, and more engaged,” commented Sullivan, Technology Integration Specialist

 

Bunger Middle School: Kristen Hinders

“Books can build trust and help kids open up through their individual interests,” shared Hinders, Technology Integration Specialist. 

 

Madison Heusinkvelt – Poyner Elementary 

“If we can make kids interested in being lifelong readers, then we are also helping them to become lifelong learners!” noted Heusinkvelt, Media Specialist. 

Whether it’s getting inspired with books about life experiences, enjoying graphic novels that share heartwarming stories, or re-reading old favorites before they make their big screen debut, we all read for a variety of reasons. Kincaid may have said it best, “Reading helps us all come together.” 

Being Bold in Bonaire with Charli Petersen

Charli Petersen, 2021 graduate of West High School, found her freedom beneath the cool ocean waves on the island of Bonaire. There, she spends her days under the Caribbean sea, guiding tourists through iconic dive sites as a PADI Scuba Diving Instructor. According to Petersen, “Underwater, everyone feels equal; it makes you feel free.”

Petersen first ignited her passion for diving nine years ago. Right here in the Cedar Valley, she found her diving community alongside PADI Instructor, Jenn Burns Knox, of Iowa Scuba & Swim. “She was always eager to learn and gain dive experience,” said Burns Knox. “I’m so honored to be her friend and mentor, and am incredibly proud of the woman and scuba instructor she is today.”

After taking courses at the Waterloo Career Center, Petersen said she learned how to take learning into her own hands, enjoying paths that allowed her to choose an education at her own pace. Thankfully, PADI programs operate much in the same fashion, allowing student divers to tackle the different levels of diving courses in their own time. Every PADI certified scuba diver starts with their Open Water certification which allows students to do classwork both online and in-person. After completing this initial certification, divers can continue growing their skill sets, completing Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver, Master Diver, and Instructor certifications.

After earning her Open Water certification, Petersen traveled to Utilas, Honduras, where she completed her Instructor certification. Now working as a licensed PADI Instructor in Bonaire, she says she loves working in the industry as a professional. “You do this job for all the incredible people; you meet folks from all over the world.” 2022 marks her first anniversary as a scuba diving instructor, and she says she’s thankful for the past 365 days, and her 100 plus students.

Whether she’s prepping the boat for a morning dive, guiding divers through the coastal reefs, or helping customers at the dive shop, Petersen enjoys the daily exploration in her new home of Bonaire. Thankfully, she still sports her WCC tumbler with her, each step of the way.

 

WEST HIGH SCHOOL’S SAHARA WILLIAMS SELECTED TO PLAY AT 2022 U18 3X3 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

CONTACT:

Anthony Pappas, West High School Women’s Basketball Coach

(319) 433-2700      [email protected]

Waterloo, IA –  Waterloo West High School’s Sahara Williams leaves for Chicago today, as she starts her nearly two week journey for the U18 3×3 World Championship in Debrecen, Hungary. Williams was selected by USA Basketball for the team on August 2, 2022, along with three other female players from across the United States to play in this year’s international tournament. She, along with Kamorea ‘KK’ Arnold, Sarah Strong, and Mikaylah Williams, will spend the next four days at a training camp in Chicago, Illinois, before making their way to the tournament in Hungary. 

“I’m really excited to play everywhere,” says Williams. “It will be a really good way to promote myself and my individual game.” 

Waterloo West High School’s Women’s Basketball Coach, Dr. Anthony Pappas, worked to coordinate Williams’ tryout for the team. 

“At tryouts I felt like I did pretty well, and I was pretty confident in myself,” says Williams. “When they extended the offer I was kind of baffled. All the girls they had to choose from were really great.” 

Pappas has coached Williams at West the past three years and looks forward to the skillset she’ll bring to her final season with the team.

“She’s worked hard,” said Pappas. “She’s going to have a great senior year.”

Williams has signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Oklahoma in the Fall of 2023.

“Everyone in Waterloo who has supported me so far, thank you, it takes a village,” Williams said. “If you have a goal, envision it. No one else can make that happen besides you!” 

The U18 3×3 World Championship, hosted by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA),  takes place Tuesday, August 23, 2022 until Sunday, August 28, 2022. The official schedule lists the US Women’s first game against Egypt on Wednesday, August 24, 2022 at 5:50 PM local time (10:50 AM CST) followed by their second game of the day against Mongolia at 7:55 PM local time (12:55 PM CST.) On Thursday, August 25, 2022 the team plays Kyrgyzstan at 10:25 AM local time (5:25 PM CST) followed by their second game of the day against Ukraine at 12:15 PM local time (7:15 PM CST) . The quarter-finals take place on Saturday, August 27, 2022, with the finals wrapping up the tournament on Sunday, August 28, 2022. The Waterloo School District will be sharing links to stream the games on their social media platforms. 

About Waterloo Schools

The Waterloo Schools community commits to a comprehensive system of education and support to assure that each and every student will graduate prepared for college, career, and citizenship as evidenced by continuing education, pursuing a career path, and contributing to a community.

About USA Basketball

Based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA Basketball is a nonprofit organization and the national governing body for basketball in the United States. As the recognized governing body for basketball in the United States by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), USA Basketball is responsible for the selection and training of USA Teams that compete in FIBA sponsored international basketball competitions, as well as for some national competitions, and for the development of youth basketball initiatives that address player development, coach education, and safety. 

About FIBA 

FIBA, the International Basketball Federation, is the world governing body for basketball.Founded by eight nations in 1932, we now bring together 212 National Basketball Federations from all over the world. A non-profit making organization, our mission is to develop and promote the game of basketball, uniting the wider basketball community, which counts more than 450 million players and fans. We organize and oversee international competitions including the FIBA Basketball World Cup, the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup and the Olympic Basketball Tournaments. We establish the Official Basketball Rules as well as the regulations that govern the relationships between the different members of the basketball community. FIBA is the only authority in basketball recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). FIBA’s headquarters, the House of Basketball, is situated in Mies, Switzerland on the shores of Lake Geneva. FIBA has five Regional Offices to provide direct services to the National Member Federations; Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania. 

Sahara Williams runs, dribbling the basketball.

Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier Photo

 

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