The Faculty of Phys. Ed. and Health had its work cut out for it over the summer, with numerous coaching vacancies that needed to be filled staring it in the face. The faculty moved quickly, however, and managed to fill most of the positions by the end of July.

Included in the coaching jobs were men’s volleyball and men and women’s soccer. Jeff Chung will step behind the bench for the volleyball squad to fill the void, while John Vidovich and Beth McCharles will take on the duties of guiding the men’s and women’s soccer teams respectively.

Chung, who had a successful career as a member of the Blues volleyball team himself, and who has been oft-quoted by Varsity reporters, views his new position in a positive light: “This is the ideal job for me, having graduated here and having my home here. I’m extremely excited and very flattered that I was chosen.”

Chung will be under added pressure this season because the volleyball team has won five straight Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championships. He is also replacing Orest Stanko, who led his teams to a phenomenal thirteen OUA titles in the twenty-three years that he coached them.

“For Orest to select me was definitely an honour” said Chung. I have huge boots to fill and have to pay my dues and learn how to win. I am committed to the players and the coaches will do everything on our end to help the team do well.”

Chung amassed a long list of personal accomplishments over his playing career. He was twice named Male Athlete of the Year at U of T, three times named OUA Most Valuable Player and on four occasions was a Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) All-Canadian.

A move from the court to the pitch reveals that both Blues soccer teams are under new guidance for the 2004-05 season. McCharles was announced as the women’s coach on July 12, and Vidovich was declared the new coach of the men’s team on the same day.

McCharles is taking over for interim coach Guido Geisler, who led the Blues to a third place finish in the OUA North division last year. Geisler was named coach in 03-04 when former coach Nikki Nicolau decided to step down.

As a player Beth represented Canada at the 2001 and 2003 World University Games as starting goalkeeper and team captain, while a member of the University of Ottawa.

She described her coaching style with a plethora of alliteration: “My coaching strategy is to be firm, fair and friendly with everyone on the team. When you are playing, you’re playing under a system developed by a coach. When you are coaching, you get to develop the system.”

Of interest is the fact that Beth is the first and only female to receive an Ontario Soccer Association Goalkeeper Coaching diploma. She used her knowledge to work as a consultant and goalkeeper coach at the International Military Sport Council of Ontario in 2003. McCharles said that she expects to continue to be a student of coaching this year, even after all her experience: “I expect there to be a huge learning curve for me. I want to start a transition game with the team, starting from the net and moving out from there.”

On the men’s side, Vidovich has an impressive playing and coaching resume. As a member of the Carleton Ravens in the late ’80s he earned two CIS All-Canadian awards and as associate coach of the Blues in 2003 he was named OUA North/West Coach of the Year. Until 1990 he was involved as a player in the Canadian Soccer League.

He has also coached boys and girls’ soccer teams at Danforth Collegiate and Technical School since 1999. John played for the Blues soccer team in the same year that he finished his Masters in Education.

Vidovich wants to set the team back on track after a period of controversy and turmoil last October. That month the Blues disclosed that they had an ineligible player on their roster. This forced them to forfeit the whole season. This all took place just before the U of T team was scheduled to participate in the OUA Final Four.