With a new school year on the horizon, Dave Showalter is ready to lead the AGWSR Activities Department into the fall season.
The Cougars have one new coach for the fall season as Kayla Miller takes over the volleyball program. Showalter says Miller will lead a high-energy staff.
“She brings a lot of energy,” Showalter says. “Obviously we’re going to miss coach Smith, all she did for our program over the last seven years. She also had a lot of energy and a lot of excitement in the program. So hopefully Kayla is able to carry that around as well. We did return assistant coaches as well. And Caitlyn Koop is going to help out with the program this year. So a younger coaching staff, I think they’re excited to get the year going as well. We’ve got some good numbers right now for our volleyball program and kind of a nice mix of some new faces and some returning experience, returning talent as well.”
Showalter says a goal for the new school year set forth by the administration is to help enhance qualities of leadership in the students.
“One of the things they’re rolling out is a lead by example for academics. I think that’s very easily applicable for our activities for both sports, fine arts, whatever it is. We’ve got a lot of good coaches, a lot of good sponsors and people that take a lot of time out of their day, whether volunteer or not, to help out for our kids. So I think that’s a pretty good direction for us to go as well for the activities is just lead by example, doing the right thing, being positive role models for our kids, because we’ve got a lot of great kids as well. We want to make sure we’re helping them put the best foot forward, not just in their activity, but in class, in the community, out in public. If our adults are doing that, it definitely goes a long ways for our kids as well.”
The school’s first athletic event of the school year will be Tuesday, August 26 when the volleyball team competes in a quad at Grundy Center.
Dave Showalter interview:
