Heather Alford
Sports Reporter

Coaching staff from left: Dean Wylie, Heather Longland, Rachel Dubbeldam and head coach Chris Wilkins have all risen in the ranks from players to leaders. (Heather Alford)

It’s become a tradition with the women’s volleyball team: former players come up through the ranks to become coaches, bringing with them a wealth of knowledge to bestow upon the current team, said head coach Chris Wilkins.
Humber athletic director, Doug Fox, has watched the team’s progress and said its success can be attributed to its experienced and dedicated coaching staff, naming Wilkins who has been head coach for the past 14 years.
“It starts with Chris,” said Fox.
“Certainly you’ve got, in my mind, the best coach in the league and we’ve added pieces to the puzzle with Dean (Wylie) coming over from the men’s program and Heather (Longland) and Rachel (Dubbeldam) adding their expertise.”
Assistant coach Wylie has been by Wilkins’ side for the past eight years.
“Dean and I have known each other for 20 years.  We played together and came through the system together,” said Wilkins.
“I try to surround the program with people that believe in the same beliefs I have and Heather and Rachel both have that mentality.  They played for me for five years, they’ve won championships and they breathe winning.  They understand what it’s about so it’s a very easy transition.”
The most recent additions to the coaching staff are former players  Longland, who has been assistant coach for the past two years, and last year’s team captain Dubbeldam, whose coaching debut was this year.
Being former players, not only do all four coaches have years of volleyball experience under their belts, they’ve fostered a strong relationship with each other which has been essential to the team’s accomplishments.