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Victoria basketball coaches find it tough at topBy DAVE SULZHerald Sports WriterHaving dominated men’s and women’s university basketball for three years, running, the aim of University of Victoria’s husband-and-wife coaching team is to maintain that standard.This season the teams are at the too of the national rankings again and unbeaten in the Canada West University Athletic Association.Although the Vikings aad Vikettes are the favorites in the chase for the national champton-Shields, who has led Victoria to five straight Canada West crowns, added if the team canhone its game successfully, a national titleits game result. “Bshin again this season, their coaches are not1%that far ahead.may result. But we don’t come out and say our goal is to win the rational championship.She added because of Victoria’s strength indKt success, it has been a challenge for her to p the Vik :ttes at a consistently nigh level of nenormance.Ken and Kathy Shields have built Victoria’s basketball program into the best in thetn Ken sei44country. With Ken serving as head coach of the Vikings and Kathy as bead coach of the Vikettes, Victoria has claimed both the men’s and women’s national titles in each of the past three years.I don’t think we’ve mentioned winning the national championship,” Ken Shields said Saturday before guiding the Vikings to a victory over host University Of Lethbridge.athy Shields said tl - Vikettes don’t specifically shoot for the national title either. “We141The players may have it in the back of their minds, but we just try and perfect our game to the best we can.Jfdon’t talk about it, we talk about improving every time out.Staying on top isn’t easy. “Everybody’s out to get you,” said Kathy. “If we have any letdown, some! off.”ly is just waiting to knock usKen said be has a similar problem keeping the Vikings at their best because he has several payers who play virtually the year rou 1, including stints with national or provincial teams.“It’s very difficult to stay highly motivated and keep your game at it’s peak for that long,”, he said ‘It’s my job to keep the team ready to play. You have to try to build a feeliisi of individual pride in the athletes so they’ll play at a high level.”Men’s, women’s teams9each others’ boostersThe men’s and women’s basketball programs at University of Victoria are closely related, and head coaches Ken and Kathy Shields believe both teams benefit frpm the situation.The teams run similar offences and defences, said Ken, but he added there is also a healthy relationship between the teams. “There’s no negative competition between the two teams,” he said. “It’s a very positive relationship.“I think it helps both teams. When we go into Calgary and perform really well, then they come in the next night, it’s got to help them.Kathy agrees. She said when the men’s team records an impressive win the previous night, it inspires the women’s team to perform equally well.Ken points to the Vikings’ relatively easy victories in the national finals the past two years and credits the strength of the Canada West for preparing the team well for playoffs.“Every year our league overall is as tough as any league in the country,” he saicL “I don’t think it gets enough credit***The Shields admit national championships are nice to have, but mere are other things in coaching they find more rewarding.Kathy, in her fifth year as coach of the Vikettes, said she takes pride in players who graduated last year after playing four years under her guidance, “lust seeinc them develon has beenreally satisfying; seeing them grow upand athletes. Ana Ken’s“We’re both involved with each other’s team to a certain extent,” said Kathy. “I sure don’t feel happy when the guys aren’t doing well.”While Victoria has added to the stature of the Canada West conference, its coaches feel the conference has also contributed to Victoria’s success. *__ people ______got a tremendous relationship with hisformer players.”“That’s the most important part of it,” said Ken, in his seventh year at Victoria after coaching at Lauren-tian University in Quebec. “I have former players who I consider very close friends in the east and in the west. At the end of a career, that’s something that’s far more important than winningcoach
Newspaper Details
Lethbridge Herald
Lethbridge, Alberta, CA
Tue, Feb 01, 1983
Page 6
Full Page
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