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47 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, March 23, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend February 19, 2005 Ferguson is new Crater volleyball coach By TIM TROWER Mail Tribune Tanya Ferguson has been around Rogue Valley volleyball long enough to know what it takes to succeed. And to that end, she’s not wasting any time. Ferguson was recently named the head coach at Crater, and she’s already implementing ideas to bolster club participation and play through the educational ranks. "That was my goal," said Ferguson, "to get in there young, build a really strong program and see it rise to the top. We’ll do a lot of work on fundamentals, and club ball is really important. My goal this year is to get as many girls as I can involved at the middle school level and build the program from the younger grades through the high school." Ferguson, whose maiden name is Northrop, played at Eagle Point for three years, then finished high school at Butte Falls, graduating in 1996. Advertisement She was named to the Class 1A state tournament all-star team in 1995 after helping Butte Falls to second place. Ferguson didn’t play collegiately, but instead got involved in coaching area high school teams while attending Southern Oregon University. She’s had three years of head coaching and one year as an assistant at Eagle Point, Prospect and Rogue River. She didn’t coach last season but worked as a volleyball official. Ferguson, 27, will teach health at Crater, filling in for a teacher on maternity leave. She’s been a substitute in the Central Point and Rogue River districts. Ferguson replaces Greg Dippel as the Comets’ coach. Dippel took over the program for one year after Leaf Jensen stepped down in March 2004. Crater went to state in 2001 and ‘02 for the first times since 1988, but fell to 2-26 in SOC matches the past two seasons. "I’m excited to be coaching with a lot of high quality and very qualified people in our conference, for sure,’" said Ferguson, who lives in Eagle Point. "It’s an honor. The skill level is going to be a little different, and there’s obviously more media coverage. You have to be aware of that. But as far as coaching, I have my own style. That’s who I am and that doesn’t change." She characterized herself as enthusiastic and fair. "I believe that what’s good for one is good for all," said Ferguson. "And attitude is very important. I want ladies on the court who have a positive attitude and display superior sportsmanship for themselves, their team and their school." Ferguson met with the Crater players and was heartened by their enthusiasm and energy. She plans to meet with kids in lower grades in the near future. The Comets lost five seniors to graduation but will have four coming back, giving them a blend of experience and youth. "I can see Crater moving up in the standings within a short period of time, definitely," said Ferguson. Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Slippers Student Loans afsa teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoo Advertisement s