End of an Era

Post-secondary athletics is such a fascinating world with high turnover of athletes almost every year.

Within the PACWEST, student athletes remain at their institutions and with their teams for a maximum of five years and then move onto their future endeavours.  Usually the most consistent aspect of a PACWEST varsity team is their coaching staff and no two volleyball coaches have been together as long as Shane Hyde and Jas Shahi of the VIU Mariners women’s volleyball team. 

This dynamic duo has been together since the 2013-2014 season and has captured a PACWEST medal each year since.  They have also won eight CCAA national medals including five national golds.

But as they say, all good things must come to an end.

Following this season, assistant coach Jas Shahi will step down from his role that he has held for 12 years.

It has been an incredible run for the Mariners program and Shahi has been a major part of their success.  He has worked countless hours analysing video of upcoming opponents, looking at analytics, keeping accurate stats, running the bench and does most of the heavy lifting during the warm-ups.

From a coach who admits in his first season he wondered “What am I doing here? I’m so out of my league,” to a five-time national champion, Shahi, along with Hyde have been the backbone of this incredible program.

“It has been an amazing journey being a part of not only this team but also this program,” says Shahi. “The Mariner program as a whole and specifically our volleyball team has been an experience that created great memories and lifelong connections.  I can't speak for other programs in the PACWEST but with our program it starts with Athletic Director Danielle Hyde and her leadership, and spreads down to our teams. The vision to create winning programs across all sports and to motivate these athletes to push their boundaries in sport and inside the classroom.”

“I've been lucky enough to work alongside Shane and learn so much. He took me under his wing when I was pretty raw, and we now have a relationship where we can challenge and learn from each other.  Together, we have seen a lot of success over the years, and to be a part of this has been so rewarding, my time has been truly memorable.”

It’s unclear how many student athletes have come and gone through the Mariners program since the 2013-2014 season when Shahi joined, but it’s those relationships that he is going to miss. “I'm definitely going to miss the connections created with the student athletes and other coaches. Many athletes have reached out since they found out I was leaving, and it's emotional to read their messages. I'm also going to miss competing every week, it’s such as an adrenaline rush with the highs and lows of a match.”

Before he leaves after this season, Shahi is hoping to add a bit more hardware to his already overflowing trophy case.  His Mariners are the #1 seed ahead of this weekend’s PACWEST championship tournament, which is being hosted at VIU.

Once he hangs up his clipboard at the end of the season, Shahi plans to spend a lot more time at home and around his family. “I couldn't have coached for this long without a supportive wife and family who have sacrificed so much to allow me to pursue my passion. It's time for me to step away and now cheer from the sidelines…and be home for dinner!”

The Mariners open the playoffs on Friday night at 6:00pm when they face the fourth seeded CBC Bearcats with the winner advancing to the Conference gold medal match on Saturday.