Atkins to take over rugby Panthers
UPEI Athletics Director Ron Annear is pleased to announce that Shannon Atkins has been named head coach for the UPEI Panthers women's rugby team.
'We are pleased to have Shannon on board for the fall,' commented Annear. 'As a former UPEI women's rugby student-athlete, an assistant coach with former head coach Mary Jane Webster, and her success coaching at the high school level, Shannon is motivated to rebuild the Panthers to compete for an AUS Championship.'
He added, 'With her connections to, and the high participation rate in, women's high school rugby here on PEI, Shannon will have a leg up on identifying and recruiting student-athletes who are capable of moving up to the AUS/CIS level.'
Atkins has been involved with UPEI Rugby for over sixteen years as a player and assistant coach. During her rugby career at UPEI, she was twice-named CIS All Canadian and was the AUS MVP in 2001. A graduate of UPEI with Bachelors of Arts and Education, Atkins was also an Academic All Canadian two times.
"I am looking forward to working not only with the veterans of the team in the fall, but also with the new crop of girls that are coming up. I believe that this team has the ability to achieve some of the great success that the UPEI Women's program has had in past, and I am excited about helping these girls reach for that,' commented Coach Atkins.
Atkins has coached at the high school level for thirteen years at both Charlottetown Rural and Souris High Schools and has also worked with numerous provincial teams at different age levels.
Atkins will be in Shawnigan Lake, north of Victoria, BC, June 11-13, to take part in a learning facilitators' program that will allow her to teach and lead level two coaching courses. Only five women from across the country have been invited by Rugby Canada to attend the weekend event.
Atkins said, "I am excited about this excellent professional development opportunity. It is an honour to be chosen, and, hopefully, it will benefit the rugby community on PEI as whole in the future."
As part of the program, the invited coaches will attend the 'Can Am Match' featuring Islanders Ashley MacDonald and Heather Moyse.
