Larry Ethier

Inexperience in Sport Launches Prolific 23 Year Volleyball Coaching Career in Wetaskiwin and Japan

Larry Ethier coached volleyball in Wetaskiwin for twenty-three years. During his years of coaching, his volleyball teams won eleven Provincial Championships, made three appearances at the National Championships, and won a National Bronze Medal. Larry also established the Wetaskiwin Volleyball Club. It is for his time and effort, his dedication, his passion for coaching the sport of volleyball, his achievements, and his contributions to the youth of Wetaskiwin that Larry is being inducted into the Wetaskiwin & County Sports Hall of Fame.

Larry moved to Wetaskiwin in 1970 to begin his teaching career at Queen Elizabeth Junior High School. As a first-year teacher it was expected that he would coach a boys volleyball team. Having no experience in the sport, Larry attended a volleyball coaching clinic and launched his coaching career.

Never Missed Representing Zone at High School Provincials
1976-1992

In 1976, after six years coaching boys at Queen Elizabeth, Larry transferred to the Wetaskiwin Composite High School where he continued to coach volleyball teams. Between 1976 and 1992 Larry’s WCHS teams won six Provincial Championships. Four of the Provincial Championships were with the boys' teams and two were with the girls' teams. Larry’s 1977, 1980, 1983 and 1984 boys' teams each won the 3A Provincial Title. His 1989-90 girls won the 3A Provincials and the next year the girls chose to play at the 4A level against much larger schools and again won the Provincial title. The 1990-91 girls' team with Larry as their coach was inducted into the Wetaskiwin & County Sports Hall of Fame in 2011 for their outstanding achievements. During Larry’s coaching years at WCHS there wasn’t a year when his team didn’t represent their zone at the Provincial Championships, quite an accomplishment!

Launches Wetaskiwin Avalanche Volleyball Club

In the spring of 1978 Larry established the Wetaskiwin Volleyball Club Avalanche to give Wetaskiwin volleyball players more opportunity for improvement and competition once their school leagues were completed. From then on, once the high school season was over in the fall, Larry continued to coach into the spring with the WVC program. In the club program, Larry’s Juvenile Boys teams won Provincial Championships and represented Alberta at the National Championships in 1979, 1982 and 1984. His 1984 WVC Juvenile team won the Bronze Medal at the National Championships. In 1985 Larry coached a WVC Midget team that won the right to represent Alberta at the Western Canadian Championships. Additionally, in 1992 Larry coached a Bantam team at the club level and won another Provincial Championship.

Coaching Japan to Win Five Consecutive Championships

When Larry left Wetaskiwin in 1992 he went on to teach in Japan until 1997. Again he coached volleyball and continued his winning ways. The teams he coached in Japan won five consecutive league and five consecutive Asia International Schools Championships.

Coach "E's" Methods Ahead of the Times

Athletes who were coached by “Coach E” consider themselves lucky to have had him as an influence in their lives and he has their total respect. They all credit Larry for their successes in volleyball. His coaching methods including visualization and his “book” of positive affirmations were “ahead of the times”. He was able to instil in his players the value of hard work, goal setting, a positive attitude, confidence, and belief in their abilities - all attributes that these young people would carry with them into adulthood.

Larry Ether has been one of the most successful coaches in Wetaskiwin Composite High School’s history. He established a “winning” mentality for the school volleyball program and positively influenced hundreds of student athletes. During his teaching career, most of Larry’s spare time was spent volunteer coaching on the volleyball court. We applaud his selfless dedication, his outstanding achievements and are honoured to induct Larry into the Wetaskiwin and County Sports Hall of Fame.

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