CDA Coaches We Love!

PROFILE

COACHES

WE LOVE

interviews by david kilmer

photography by quicksilver studios

NICOLE

SYMONS

“The greatest rewards are watching my players celebrate great wins and also consoling each other in big losses, and watching them grow into amazing young people who are kind and hardworking. My husband and I say to our own kids and our players, ‘Be the hardest working and kindest person every day in all you do!’”

After her Lake City High basketball team won state three out of four years, she played college basketball in Seattle, then worked for Lake City High and now Coeur d’Alene High as varsity assistant coach, and is helping to grow the North Idaho Elite Basketball Club, where she is known for creating a true team culture.

``I love watching my players develop the life skills of grit, problem solving, competitive spirit, grace, humility and how to get back up after failure."

``I've coached many little guys from very tough situations, and I hope what they learn in football will help them survive and thrive off the field."

BOB

FITZGERALD

“Coaching is not screaming and hollering, but putting an arm around their shoulder and saying, ‘I am going to teach you exactly how to play this position so you can succeed.’ The sweetest reward occurs years later, when a young man comes up and says, ‘The most fun I ever had in sports was playing on your team.’”

Born and raised in a small Oklahoma town where football was everything, he played from 3rd grade through high school and one year of college ball, with many awards along the way. As a coach, board member and now president of Coeur d’Alene Junior Tackle for the past 20 years, he has positively affected thousands of players.

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JESSICA

JANKE-TREVENA

“The game of volleyball shaped my life in so many ways, I couldn’t imagine not paying it forward. Encouraging faithful, strong athletes in our community is the real joy in coaching. From my little five-year-old Volley-Tots to my big girls off playing in college now, I love the kids, I love the game and I love the job.”

She comes from a family of athletes and has been around sports all her life. Her mom was a soccer player, her sister a volleyball player and her brother played pro baseball. She has lived in gyms since she could walk and threw a football better than any of the boys on the playground. She played college volleyball at Vanguard University and NIC, and has coached at all levels, and now coaches for 208 Volleyball.

``I find such a joy in the light in my players' faces when they succeed. I enjoy helping them battle back from struggles, learn how to face adversity and grow."

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