GRASSROOTS Teamwork
Badger Region coaches emphasize working together
by Brian Sharkley Badger Region Program Director
T
wo young coaches in the Badger Region are redefi ning the word “teamwork.” Janelle Gabrielsen-Katz is the head coach for the women’s volleyball team at NCAA Division III Concordia University. Her assistant: Alex Uhan.
Alex Uhan is the owner/club director and coach at Wisconsin Premier Volleyball Club. His assistant on the court: Janelle Gabrielsen-Katz.
So how do the two handle the role
reversal? “We balance each other so well,” Uhan
said. “Together we are very positive and very energetic, and that helps build respect from the players that way.” Gabrielsen-Katz agreed.
“I think we both enjoy being able to play the good cop/bad cop depending on the situ- ation,” Gabrielsen-Katz said. “I enjoy being able to work with the girls on technique and the little stuff on the club scene, but oversee- ing the big-picture stuff for Concordia is great, too.” They also have only the best to say about
the other.
“Janelle gets the best out of her athletes and jumps into practice and goes all out like she was still playing,” Uhan said. “She’ll encour- age you when you’re doing well and push you when you need that push in the right direction, and she’ll never be negative about anything. The players feel a connection with her and want to play for her.”
A former NCAA Division I player, Ga- brielsen-Katz said she loves to get out there to push the athletes.
“I think my vocality on every play is the biggest thing I bring to the court and giving 100 percent on every play even if you know you can’t get a ball up,” she said. “You have to have that never-give-up attitude.” Gabrielsen-Katz appreciates the little things Uhan does.
“Alex is a great motivator for the girls,” she said. “He does a great job talking with them and helping them in a lot of ways.” Between the two of them, Uhan and Ga- brielsen-Katz have built up quite a resume.
54 | VOLLEYBALLUSA • Digital Issue at
usavolleyball.org/mag
CO-COACHES: Alex Uhan, top row left, and Janelle Gabrielsen-Katz, top row right, are the top coaches at both the Wisconsin Premier Volleyball Club and Concordia University.
At Concordia, the team fi nished 24-7 and had its best start since 2007. “Our goal at Concordia is to create a great college atmosphere and get the best out of our athletes,” Uhan said. “You always hear about the Whitewaters, Stevens Points and Carthages as the big names for Division III volleyball in the state, and we’re trying to turn that corner for Concordia.” Recruiting and scouting has been a huge point of emphasis at any level, Uhan said.
“At Division III, you need to work hard at recruiting because you don’t have all the scholarships,”
Uhan said. “We’re doing that here by work- ing together and coaching around the area and trying to make a name for ourselves.” Prior to taking the job at Concordia, Gabrielsen-Katz was a member of the University of Wisconsin Badgers where she was named to the All-Big Ten Conference Academic Team, earned the Big Ten Confer- ence Sportsmanship Award and numerous all-tournament team accolades. At Menomonee Falls High School, she was named the Gatorade Player of the Year for Wisconsin in 2007. Uhan’s path to success has included being an assistant coach at Homestead High School, the head varsity coach at West Bend West where he tallied over 70 wins in just three years, and as a coach with G-Force Volleyball Club.
With Gabrielsen-Katz by his side,
Uhan’s team won the 14s Badger Region Championship in 2012 and won the North- ern Lights Qualifi er as 15-year-olds in 2013. As 16-year-olds, the same group of G-Force girls took second place at the 2014 USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Champion- ships in the American Division. “We’ve been so blessed to be surrounded with great athletes and other great coaches through the years,” Uhan said. “We’ve been so proud to represent the Badger Region.” After all the success with G-Force, why say goodbye? “We saw this opportunity to start Wis- consin Premier because timing was right,” Uhan said. “The staff, the coaches, the facil- ity and all that just seemed to be in place so we did it. We hope that the players still come and try out.”
Uhan said it was a very hard decision, but loves the challenge of building some- thing great from nothing. “G-Force was my fi rst home – my home for seven years. I moved up the ranks with them and was so blessed to have such great talent and great players,” he said. Only 25 years old, Uhan feels he still has lots to learn.
“I want to be a sponge and absorb everything I can and put it in my proverbial toolbelt,” he said. With Gabrielsen-Katz on the sidelines with him, of course.
PHOTO: TEXAS STAR
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