She is one of the most successful varsity coaches in Queen’s sporting history. After 31 years at the helm of the men’s volleyball program, Brenda Willis has decided to retire.
“I am retiring from Queen’s University. I am not retiring from volleyball,” said Willis.
“You know, I can look back and think about how far the program has come in the 30-plus years I’ve been here. I remember sitting on the floor in the Ross Gymnasium to watch our games before we graduated to Bartlett, so it’s come a long way. I think between the six Ontario university championships and the CIS tournament that we got to host in March of 2012, I leave a lot of marks on the program that I’m very proud of.”
As a female varsity coach, Willis admitted, especially in the early years, that she had to overcome a number of challenges and biases.
“Yes, there’s no question I got tested by some athletes very early on and certainly by colleagues as well but it just takes a little bit of winning and suddenly your credibility goes up. I never really wanted to be known as a woman coach, I wanted to be known as a volleyball coach and let my record speak for itself.
“Even though I didn’t set out to be a trailblazer, if my career can be an example, or set a path for some other women, then I’m very proud of that. I think it’s something that women should consider because men just want to be well-coached, I don’t think gender matters.”
Willis says she will miss the day-to-day interaction with her student-athletes and her coaching colleagues but she’s looking forward to not being in the gym on a nightly basis and travelling almost every weekend.
“Like I said, I’m retiring from Queen’s, but I’m not retiring from volleyball. I am president of the Kingston Pegasus Volleyball Club and I’m looking forward to coaching coaches and making an impact on the sport in other ways.”
Willis has turned the Queen’s volleyball program into one of the best in the country. She won six OUA championships, and five times was named the OUA men’s volleyball coach of the year.