By: John Dayberry | jdayberry@hickoryrecord.com Published: September 24, 2012 Updated: September 24, 2012 - 12:00 AM

HICKORY As a goalkeeper in high school and college soccer, Jeff Schellenberger looked forward most to the tough matchups, those in which his abilities would be greatly tested.

As coaching director of the Catawba Valley Youth Soccer Association, Schellenberger still relishes a challenge.

I just love to compete, Schellenberger says.

Engage Schellenberger in a conversation about soccer and youll quickly find that he loves most everything about the game.

Soccer requires you to prepare mentally and physically, he says. It takes years of perseverance to develop fully, but if you stick with it youll grow as a player and as a person. And youll make wonderful friends along the way. Thats been true in my life, and I want those things for everybody in the club.

Schellenberger, 50, grew up in rural Pennsylvania, and began playing soccer at age 12. A high school coach encouraged him to play goalkeeper, a position he found he enjoyed and stuck with through college. He earned a B.A. in Psychology at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Va., and went on to earn a Masters in Sports and Recreation Administration at Temple University in Philadelphia.

His years of coaching experience included stints at Kutztown University in Kutztown, Pa., Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pa., and Albright College in Reading, Pa.

He found all three experiences rewarding.

When I joined those programs they werent very good, and when I left they were in pretty good shape, Schellenberger says. I really enjoyed helping those programs grow.

Continue reading here:
Coaching director helps Catawba Valley Youth Soccer Association grow

With Tim Sheens' coaching career at Wests Tigers on life support, former board member Ben Elias revealed the club could have had Ricky Stuart take over for 2012.

Sheens survived the first board meeting over his future, but it appears increasingly unlikely that he will be in charge by Monday night.

He will face another board meeting where his performance and future will be discussed on Monday, and Elias suggested on Sunday it was time for Sheens to move on and called on the veteran mentor to step down 'for his own credibility'.

Elias revealed that when Sheens was deciding whether to re-sign with the Tigers last year or take up a lucrative offer from Penrith, the club had a contingency plan in place to recruit then-NSW coach Stuart, who will coach Parramatta in 2013, to replace him.

'At the time when we re-signed him it was very controversial,' the Balmain legend told ABC Radio's Grandstand.

'We had another coach in the shadows ready to go.

'Ricky Stuart was going to coach the Tigers if (Sheens) hadn't signed.

'He decided to coach and we came to an agreement of three years.

'That situation, obviously, we continued for the next 12 months and here we are today.'

How it has unravelled so quickly is unclear, although an underwhelming performance in 2012 that resulted in the Tigers missing the finals for the seventh time under Sheens' reign seems the tipping point.

Excerpt from:
Tigers skipped on Stuart to keep Sheens

Texas A&M coaching legend and Hall of Famer R.C. Slocum was honored during Saturdays game at Kyle Field.

Perhaps R.C. Slocums success as a coach can be linked back to his high school football playbook.

Woe be unto the boy who is disrespectful of his parents, reads tattered and yellowed page three. You may think you know it all and that they do not know anything, but you are only looking for a means of escape if this is your attitude.

Slocum chuckled as he flipped through the orange-bound 1960s notebook from Stark High School.

Be ashamed of yourself if you call your father My Old Man or your mother My Old Lady when talking to someone about them, Slocum read aloud, straining to make out the faded blue print. If you are this kind of boy and continue on this road, you will not be a good athlete, and we do not have a place on the team for you.

Slocum, Texas A&Ms winningest football coach in the history of Aggie football, said it was his upbringing that led him to be named to the College Football Hall of Fame in May.

Saturday at Texas A&Ms game against South Carolina State, Slocum stepped onto Kyle Field for the first time since earning the award. He was greeted with a loud and warm welcome by thousands of spectators.

This is so special because of the Aggie fans, the 12th Man, along with players, assistant coaches and so many more, Slocum said. Recognition of this type is one you dont do by yourself.

Slocum was born and raised in Orange and said he grew up in a poor, working-class family but never knew it.

I was taught that we were privileged, and even though neither of my parents went to school, I was taught that education was a valuable tool of getting ahead. My coaches reinforced all that.

Visit link:
Still coaching: Slocum takes bow at Kyle Field for Hall of Fame honor

Former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola insisted that he is happy living the family life in New York for now as he kept the guessing game about his future in football wide open.

Speculation is rife about the next job of the man who won everything at Barcelona since he decided to take a break from the sport after coaching his last game in May.

Guardiola was forced to address his future on Friday while he appeared as a guest speaker at an annual event in Mexico City organized by Fundacion Telmex, the charity of Mexican telecoms tycoon Carlos Slim.

Asked whether he would coach the Spanish national team one day, he said: "You never know. It's just that New York is so nice."

Would his next destination be Manchester United or AC Milan? "I don't know... I said I wouldn't coach this year," he responded.

The 41-year-old former Barcelona midfielder said that he would be in the Big Apple for a year, living a regular life, taking his three children to school, learning English and "getting to know the city."

One of his former players at Barcelona, new AC Milan recruit Bojan Krkic, fed the rumor mill last month when he said that "someone" at his old team told him Guardiola was interested in coaching the Italian club.

Guardiola's agent has denied any possible moves to Bayern Munich or the Brazilian national team.

Former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola (pictured in May) on Friday insisted that he is happy living the family life in New York for now as he kept the guessing game about his future in football wide open.

The rest is here:
Guardiola, happy in NY, coy about future

A UNIVERSITY student from Yarm has returned from a football coaching trip to Zambia with a new outlook on life.

Ben Gibbons, a BA Sport student at Durham University, spent six weeks in Zambian capital Lusaka on the Ideals UK Sport Zambia Project.

The aspiring PE teacher was based at the Fountain of Hope orphanage for boys, where he taught English, maths and music as well as some new football techniques.

He said the whole experience as part of a group of 14 visiting students left him humbled and with a fresh perspective on life after seeing the positive way in which Zambians cope with the most trying circumstances.

There are between 50 and 70 boys at the orphanage, which is all about empowerment through education and sport, and all of them are really happy even though they have no money and only one change of clothes, he said.

Silly things that I would normally let annoy me are pointless when you compare them to life over there.

Zambia might as well be a different planet, let alone a different country. Some of the people have nothing, but they are very friendly and happy.

There is a Zambian word kuichayila, which means when things get tough, stay calm and keep cool.

It sums up their way of life and Ill be definitely thinking about that from now on. It was really good, a great experience.

During his time in Africa Ben, 20, formed a strong bond working alongside two local peer leaders, Steven and Isaac, and saw his teams impress at annual sports competition the Wallace Tournament.

Read more from the original source:
How Ben’s adventure in Zambia proved to be a real eye-opener

Pep Guardiola has suggested that he would be interested in becoming the next coach of Spain's national team at some point in the future.

The 41-year-old is currently enjoying a sabbatical in New York after his departure from Barcelona at the end of last season, and he hinted the position could interest him in the coming years.

"Coaching the national team? You never know what could happen," Guardiola said at an annual event in Mexico City, organized by Fundacion Telmex - the charity of telecoms tycoon Carlos Slim.

"I'm feeling very well in New York, and I'll stay here for a year. I don't know when I will return to coaching, but it will not be this year.

"I will make my comeback once I have the desire to coach again, but that's not the case just yet."

The former midfielder then looked back on his time at Barca, and stressed that he never planned to spend his entire career in Catalunya.

"I never had the intention to stay at Barcelona my entire life. It was a stage in my life and I had a great time. The time to move on had come, though, so I decided to quit," Guardiola said.

"It was all about entertaining the fans at Barcelona. The crowd have to enjoy watching football. I stuck to a tradition that was started by Johan Cruyff, who also had a great group of players."

Guardiola won an impressive 14 trophies during his four years at the Blaugrana.

Follow GOAL.COM on Twitter

The rest is here:
Guardiola: Coaching Spain? You never know

Port Adelaide chief executive Keith Thomas has denied reports no-one wants to coach the club after prospective candidates Rodney Eade and Brett Ratten withdrew from the race to take over the struggling team.

In an expansive message from the CEO on the Port Adelaide website on Friday afternoon, Thomas said the search for a new coach would now take longer than the initial deadline of Grand Final day 2012.

Thomas said this had occurred as a consequence of the club honouring John McCarthy after his tragic death last week.

But the chief executive was adamant the Power were still on track to find a new coach sooner rather than later.

"We are currently still in stage 2 of our pre-determined 3-phase process, which means we are still interviewing candidates," wrote Thomas.

"I can confirm that Brett Ratten did present to the panel, and has subsequently withdrawn from the race citing the fact that he believes a senior assistant role somewhere may be more appropriate for him in the immediate aftermath of his Carlton experience. We respect his decision.

"In regards to the rest of the field, despite the fact that finals participation, dealing with John's tragedy and celebrating his life, along with other issues have presented a few logistical challenges, we are very comfortable with our options and progress to date.

"Having accepted that the pre-grand final timeline was not going to be possible following recent events, we are now simply committed to moving through these final stages as efficiently and diligently as we can.

"Far from being 'the club no-one wants to coach' as reported in one interstate paper today, we need to be patient, make sure that we do our due diligence, and ultimately pick the right guy for Port Adelaide. It's as simple as that."

Port Adelaide started looking for a new coach after parting ways with Matthew Primus following the club's Round 19 loss to GWS.

Read the rest here:
Power deny coaching jibes

Sometimes, a man can protect his life from every peril except for himself. This seems to be the case as former head coach Billy Clyde Gillispie resigned from Texas Tech, ending a volatile and disappointing tenure that casts plenty of doubt about his future in Division I basketball.

Gillispie was once a promising coaching prospect who appeared ready to stake his claim as the next big thing in college hoops. Instead, he has allowed his inner demons to take control of his life and have effectively forced him away from what he loves doing most: coaching basketball to young men.

The story of Billy Gillispie is one of sadness and regret, but it all began with great promise during his early days as an assistant head coach. Gillispie's first job in Division I came under the guidance of head coach Harry Miller at Baylor University. The highlight of his tenure came in 1996, when Gillispie helped assemble the Bears' sixth-ranked recruiting class in the nation that season.

Billy eventually left the Baylor program and landed at the University of Tulsa, where he learned under head coach Bill Self. The two formed a dynamite duo and they led the school to an appearance in the Elite Eight during the 2000 NCAA Tournament.

Self and Gillispie then left together to coach at the University of Illinois, where they yet again took the team to the 2001 NCAA Elite Eight. After their great success, Gillispie helped the Illini land a Top-10 recruiting class. The team advanced to the Sweet 16 the following season, in large part because of Billy Clyde's great tactical skills and ability to lure great talent to campus.

Before moving forward, take a step backward and observe what this man accomplished in such a short time span. He helped guide multiple programs to great success in the NCAA tournament while simultaneously recruiting at a high level at schools that were not recruiting hotbeds beforehand. The man accomplished great success in a short period of time, which would be the theme going forward in his rise to stardom.

Known as a hot up-and-comer and a great recruiter, Billy Gillispie finally landed his first major head coaching position by accepting the head coaching job at the University of Texas at El Paso in 2002. His first season for the Miners yielded an ugly 6-24 record, but the coach assembled a Top 25 overall class that promised great things for the program ahead.

Billy accomplished more than he could have dreamed in his second season, as his Miners completed the biggest turnaround of the season and finished 24-8 while taking home the WAC conference title. The startling turnaround earned Gillispie the Texas Coach of the Year award and he was a finalist for National Coach of the Year honors.

Gillispie parlayed this success into a promotion of sorts by leaving UTEP to take over as the head coach for Texas A&M. The Aggies finished 7-21 prior to Billy's hiring but quickly turned things around as he led them to a 21-10 record in the 2004-05 season. The 14-game turnaround was the greatest improvement in the nation, making Gillispie the first head coach in NCAA history to lead the nation's most improved team two years in a row.

He led Texas A&M to the NIT and even won games against ranked in-state rivals Texas and Texas Tech. It was no wonder then that he was a unanimous selection as the Big 12 Coach of the Year.

Excerpt from:
Billy Gillispie's Rise to Stardom and Tragic Fall from Grace

New Zealand Surf Life Saving volunteer of the year Antony Mason at the St Clair Surf Life Saving Club. Photo by Peter McIntosh.

Antony Mason was last night announced the 2012 New Zealand Surf Life Saving volunteer of the year at a ceremony at Queens Wharf in Wellington.

"I think my name just got pulled out of a hat. This award is a reflection of what the club's achieved," Mr Mason said.

"It's an individual recognition, but we're an organisation that prides itself on teamwork. I'm just the general dogsbody. It's good for surf life-saving in Otago and Southland to have this recognition, but I'm a bit humbled and embarrassed about it, really, because you're just one person in an organisation. I've been reflecting on it, thinking, do I deserve this? Have I done enough?"

Mr Mason (42) has been a tireless supporter of the club since he qualified as a lifeguard in 1984, raising sponsorship, managing accounts, instructing inflatable rescue boat crews and lifeguards, organising club events and even washing the club patrol kit every week.

"I remember kicking around the club when I was 5 years old. I was lucky to grow up at the surf club and fell in love with being at the beach as a kid. Somehow, I've never been able to walk away," he said.

"Surf life-saving sets kids up for life. We like to think that we help create better people through involvement with surf life-saving. We get kids starting in our junior programme now when they're 5 years old. They bring their families and parents along and it's a real family environment. It's quite unique, compared to other sporting clubs. It's a sports club which also provides an important community service."

Mr Mason's other job is as a firefighter at the Dunedin central station.

"Surf life-saving sets people up for careers in the police, fire and emergency services. You're learning to do things like driving boats, dealing with situations and doing St John first aid courses," he said.

"I used to compete, but now I get a real buzz from seeing others achieving."

Here is the original post:
Otago life-saver wins NZ award

EUGENE -- He does his best to mask the injury, offering only a slight limp favoring his left leg as he walks out of Autzen Stadium. In that regard, Mark Helfrich blends in with some of the banged-up Oregon football players also leaving a recent practice.

He reveals no discomfort, no discontent. What the injury is, per team protocol and personal pride, Helfrich won't say.

"Old age," Oregon's offensive coordinator jokes.

Helfrich, at 38, is hardly old. In 2006, he was the youngest offensive coordinator at a BCS school when he took that position at Colorado. Now in his fourth season in the same position with the Ducks, he's been called one of the brightest young coaches in the business.

At this moment, though, the unspecified injury is slowing down this shooting star. So instead of his usual post-practice jog -- a daily ritual for many UO coaches -- Helfrich snaps on a safety helmet and hops on a five-speed bicycle.

He takes off for a light ride on Pre's Trail along the Willamette River. He isn't going far.

Family ties

"It's difficult," Helfrich said of raising a family while working a demanding, 16-hour-a-day job. "But just like anybody you have to prioritize as best you can. My wife is awesome, and she tries to get here whenever they can.

"Any time they're around (the office), it's fun to see them interact. Our players are awesome with them. And spending time with them whenever I can is invaluable."

Helfrich, a 1992 graduate of Coos Bay's Marshfield High School, played quarterback at Southern Oregon and studied pre-med. He met Megan when he was visiting his older brother, John, at UO, and later got his first big coaching break as a UO graduate assistant on Mike Bellotti's staff in 1997.

The rest is here:
Oregon's Mark Helfrich, rising star in college football coaching ranks, finds comfort zone in Eugene