1Excalibur Champions: Rebecca van Staalduinen excited to be a part of U Sports' third annual Female Apprentice Coach Program
Very early in her path as a student-athlete and career, Rebecca van Staalduinen knew she wanted to be involved in sport. From working as a coach at the Madawaska Volleyball Camp, to participating in a Coach in Training program, van Staalduinen fell in love with coaching and has continued to strive to improve ever since.
An assistant coach with the Trent Excalibur women's volleyball program, van Staalduinen is ready to take her coaching to the next level, with the U Sports Female Apprentice Coach Program.
"I'm excited for the opportunity to connect with other coaches in the apprenticeship program from across the country," said van Staalduinen. "I always like learning from other coaches, whether that's within volleyball or other sports. I'm excited for all the opportunities that are already coming my way."
Representing the Excalibur as a student-athlete (2010-2014), van Staalduinen wanted to be a role model as an athlete and now as a coach. As someone who grew up in Peterborough, when the opportunity presented itself to van Staalduinen in 2017, she was ready to jump back into sports and volleyball to lead the next wave of student-athletes at Trent.
"Craig Barclay, the head coach in 2017, asked if I'd be interested in coaching, and the experience has been fantastic ever since," said van Staalduinen. "He allowed me to really learn at my own pace, since coaching is not the same as playing, and so I learned a lot that year. When Rusty Haines came in to the head coach role, he allowed me to take more of the reigns to coaching and allowed me to take on more responsibility. It's been very special both playing for the program and now coaching."
As she continues to develop her own skills, van Staalduinen is happy to see the development of the student-athletes at Trent as well. From seeing them enter the women's volleyball program as rookies in their first year, to developing into leaders in the community, van Staalduinen has learned a lot about herself from the student-athletes around her.
With a historic season in the 2021-22 season, van Staalduinen is proud to see the growth and strength of the women's volleyball program. They have been able to bring in strong recruits every year and continue to challenge in the Ontario University Athletics conference.
"This year, we had a large recruit class, and they were the best players in their respective teams coming in," said van Staalduinen. "Seeing that progression of when we first entered the OUA and got our feet wet, to now competing with the other teams for playoff spots. We are in a spot where we are bringing recruits from all over the country."
van Staalduinen now hopes to elevate herself with the U Sports Female Apprentice Coach program, as she prepares the women's volleyball program for the new season, but also represent and show the opportunities that are out their for women in sport.
"Competing in the OUA, I love the fact that there are so many female head coaches," said van Staalduinen. "Playing against teams like RMC, where Joely Christian is there and has this poise and confidence that nothing rattles her. That's just inspiration for me, where I hope I can get to that point where I can look across the net and see a young female coach just starting out. This is exactly what we need to happen in sport."
For more Excalibur news and updates, visit our Excalibur Varsity page, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.