The start of the 2012 B.C. high school season will mark the beginning of a new era for Kelowna Owls’ football.
After nine years in charge of the KSS program, Roy Anderson has stepped down as the Owls’ head coach.
The only head man the Owls have had since football was reintroduced to the school in 2003, Anderson found fitting full-time coaching into his already busy life schedule was becoming increasingly difficult.
“The last couple of years it just got harder and harder to juggle work, football, family and everything else,” said Anderson, the regional manager in Kelowna for Re/Max of Western Canada. “It got a bit frustrating for me, I just didn’t have time to do everything, so I figured it was time to step aside.
“The thing with football, like a lot of other sports,” added Anderson, “is that it’s not seasonal anymore. The football season doesn’t really end. I didn’t have enough time in the day.”
After playing second—and sometimes third or fourth—fiddle to the South Kamloops Titans in the early years of the program, KSS stepped out of the shadows in 2009 and went on to win three consecutive Okanagan AAA Conference titles under Anderson, and each time advanced to the provincial playoffs.
He was also key in the development of the junior varsity program which has also enjoyed considerable success since being launched four seasons ago.
Anderson is satisfied with where the program has come and is confident of a promising future.
“I’m quite proud of what we did,” he said. “Starting from scratch, I feel comfortable about leaving a strong foundation. I think we established a lot of good things, not just on the field but with the system we put in place. The program has been steadily building, the teams are strong, and in good hands. It felt like the right time.”
While Anderson is no longer the Owls head coach, he said he’s not walking away from football entirely and will make himself available to the KSS staff when help is needed.
As for his contributions over the years, KSS athletic director Arnar Bernhardsson said Anderson has left behind a strong legacy.
“I think Roy did an outstanding job for us,” said Bernhardsson. “He brought our program a long way over the years, he’s established a very good tradition for football at KSS. He’ll be missed.”
As for Anderson’s successor, Bernhardsson hopes KSS will have a new head coach in place by the end of spring break, at the latest.
Early this week, Bernhardsson said he had received just two applications and is hoping for several more before conducting final interviews.
The Owls’ current coaching staff includes defensive coordinator Alex Blanchard and offensive coordinator Ben Macauley.
whenderson@kelownacapnews.com
