By Pete Borello

St. Francis hires Olympian Oden

Town Crier Staff Report

t. Francis High’s new girls volleyball coach has credentials few prep coaches in the country can match.

Kim Oden, hired last week, has played in two Olympics, was twice named NCAA Player of the Year and has been an assistant coach at four Division I colleges.

This will be Oden’s first stint as a high school coach and she inherits a team ranked No. 1 in the nation by one volleyball magazine. The Lancers have won back-to-back state championships and expect to return all six starters from last season.

“There’s a lot of talent to work with and it seems like a good group of young women,” said Oden, a 1986 graduate of Stanford University. “I look forward to working with them.”

Oden, an assistant coach at Stanford the past two seasons, has also been hired as a full-time college counselor at St. Francis.

“Kim Oden is an outstanding person, and her playing and coaching credentials are exceptional,” athletic director Tim Houlihan said. “She brings a wealth of experience to our program, and she will be a tremendous role model for our student-athletes. I don’t think we could have asked for a better fit with our community.”

Oden is a three-time All-America selection who was named National Player of the Year in 1984 and ‘85 and was an academic all-American in ‘84. She was also a first team All-PAC 10 selection from 1983-85 and the conference’s Player of the Year all three years.

In addition to her collegiate experience, Oden played on the U.S. National Team for seven years. She captained the United States team in the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics and the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics, where the U.S. women won a bronze medal.

The California native has also played professionally on the international level, as well as on the Pro Beach tour.

Oden’s coaching résumé includes assistant’s positions with the University of North Carolina, Duke University and Iowa State.

Oden - who is enrolled in a masters of counseling psychology program at Santa Clara University - said her coaching philosophy centers around her belief that “volleyball is a fun sport, a great teamwork sport and a smart sport.” These are things Oden said she plans to emphasize in practices and matches.

Oden replaces Dave Gambelin, who stepped down after 13 years as coach. Gambelin guided the Lancers to six state titles and 11 Northern California crowns.

LAHS hopes to win with Winn

David Winn has set several goals for his initial season as Los Altos High’s girls volleyball coach.

Trying to be the next Jason Mansfield, who led the Eagles to four-straight Central Coast Section finals, isn’t one of them.

“I don’t place living up to Jason’s accomplishments in my first-year goals,” said Winn, who was hired in May. “Jason obviously is in a class of his own when it comes to his coaching style and history of successful volleyball programs … My basic premise is to be myself and to allow the girls to shine for their accomplishments and not try to be ‘the next Jason.’”

Mansfield, who coached the Eagles to a CCS title in 1999, resigned last winter to take a job as an assistant coach for the Stanford University women’s volleyball team.

Winn has a Cardinal connection as well - he’s a Stanford graduate. Winn, who coached at Pinewood School last season, has three types of goals for the fall: a stretch goal, a team goal and a personal goal.

“I think the stretch goal will be to make the NorCal finals. The team has a lot of returning starters, so this stretch goal is not that far out of reach if we play our best in the tough games,” he said. “I think our team goal will be to excel in defense and be efficient in offense. This should allow us to play competitively with any team in our division and beat the teams we are supposed to beat. My personal goal and expectation is that my coaching style will be accepted and mesh well with the personalities of my new team.”

Winn recently met with a few of the team leaders and describes them as being “very friendly” toward his hiring.

“It will take time to build the player-coach chemistry, and I don’t expect to have their confidence right away,” he said. “I definitely feel like that is something I will work to earn over time.”

One thing’s for sure: Winn has the full confidence of Los Altos athletic director Monica Lodge.

“I feel good about it - I really do,” Lodge said of Winn’s hiring. “He comes in with very good recommendations. He seems like a really bright guy. He’s settled and very organized.”

Some might say Winn’s timing couldn’t be better, as he takes over the Los Altos program just when powerhouse St. Francis High exits the Eagles’ league.

“Without St. Francis in the mix, I believe there is more parity in the SCVAL De Anza (Division) and puts more pressure on winning the games you have the ability to win,” he said.

Winn believes fundamentals, positive reinforcement and team chemistry are the keys to a successful program.

The former Stanford wrestler places a heavy emphasis on basic skills in practice, with “strong serving and pass receiving at the core.” He is also of the opinion that the mental strength of a team “leads to physical successes on the court.”

And most importantly, he wants his players to have fun.

“I believe the team that plays best together also is the best at having fun together,” Winn said. “It’s sounds cheesy, but fun should also be fundamental to sports. I’m one of those coaches who believe that athletes should love what they do and need a fun environment for being competitive.”

And when his players are having fun, Winn is having fun.

“When I see the spark in one of the girl’s eyes when she achieves a personal goal in practice or in a game, it makes all the time invested worthwhile,” he said.