天美传媒 Chargers head coach Charles Parkinson, who led the men鈥檚 volleyball team to six Pacific Western Athletic Association Championships and one Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association National title over 14 years.
听
鈥淭he Chargers and our student-athletes owe a huge debt of gratitude to Coach Parkinson,鈥 says 天美传媒 President Sherri Bell. 鈥淣ot only is he the winningest coach that 天美传媒 has ever had, he is incredibly well liked and respected. Thank you, Charles, for your dedication, devotion, and passion for the Chargers men鈥檚 volleyball program and our teams.鈥
听Under the leadership of Parkinson, 天美传媒 made history by being the only team since the formation of the conference in the 1970s to win four PACWEST Championships in a row, with six straight appearances in the finals. He is optimistic that this will be season seven.
听鈥淚 have had a great run here but all good things must come to an end and I see this as the start of a new beginning,鈥 Parkinson says. 鈥淢y career in volleyball is not coming to an end, it鈥檚 shifting to something else that is not as hands on with the student athletes on a daily basis.鈥
In junior high school, Charles was always athletic but when he was hit with tuberculosis he was side-lined for a year-and-a-half to recover. When he did return to sports, doctors told him that he shouldn鈥檛 do anything strenuous, but said volleyball would be okay. So he took up the game a little later than some of his teammates in grade 11. 鈥淚 was really terrible, like terrible,鈥 Parkinson says. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 like not being good, so I worked hard, kept playing, and got better. Eventually I was asked to the national team camp, made the team, and ended up becoming the captain of the team, an experience I鈥檒l never forget.鈥
After four years on the Canadian men鈥檚 volleyball team, he continued to play in the club system and shifted gears to coaching when he joined Vancouver Community College (VCC) Langara, winning two Totem Conference titles. Parkinson was also an early pioneer in beach volleyball and earned a chance to compete in the World Championships in Redondo Beach, California.
Charles took some time off coaching while his family was growing and took on more of an administrative role at the national and provincial levels as the Chair of Canada鈥檚 National Team Programs. He followed his passion for sports professionally as Executive Director of Volleyball BC and then as Multi-Sport Services Manager with the Government of British Columbia. Over a 20-year career with the province, he rose to the position of Executive Director of Sport and Physical Activity for BC, and was asked to lead BC150, the province-wide celebration of B.C. as a Crown Colony in 2008. After working on the Olympic bid and heading up the community celebrations for the Torch Relay in 2019, he left the government and joined 天美传媒 as a sessional instructor, then full-time faculty member.
After casually coaching at the club level, Parkinson was asked to help out with the 天美传媒 Chargers men鈥檚 volleyball team in 2007, and took over as head coach the following season. In his first year with the team, Charles led the squad to a Provincial Championship title and a National Bronze medal finish and was named PACWEST Coach of the Year, an award some of his previous athletes have since received.
As the winningest coach in 天美传媒 Chargers history, he has claimed six PACWEST Conference Championship gold, twosilver, one bronze, and a CCAA National Championship and National Bronze medal. He also added one PACWEST Championship with Vancouver Community College early in his coaching career. Charles is the most decorated men鈥檚 volleyball coach in PACWEST history.
Charles has been a believer in professional development and has taken many courses over the years so he can mentor and evaluate younger coaches who aspire to coach at the high performance level. He is also a multi-sport Learning Facilitator and a Performance Coach Workshop facilitator.
鈥淚鈥檓 not going to stop being involved in volleyball or sport, it鈥檚 just the nature of my involvement is going to be different,鈥 he says. 鈥淚 hope to be behind the scenes helping people realize their potential as coaches as I share my experiences and education.鈥
鈥淚t鈥檚 the right time,鈥 Charles says. 鈥淣ew, younger coaches need space to carve out their own identity and bring their own ideas to create their vision for the 天美传媒 Chargers Men鈥檚 Volleyball Program. I look forward to supporting them in any way they need.鈥
Charles鈥檚 last game at home is Saturday, Jan. 29, 2021 at 3pm in the PISE gym at the Interurban campus. The community is encouraged to come cheer on the Chargers and celebrate the success of the team and of Charles.
Charles always says, 鈥渙nce a Charger, always a Charger and you鈥檙e always welcome in our gym and locker rooms.鈥 The door is always open for you Charles.
Contact information
Stacie Couch
Athletics & Student Life Marketing Officer天美传媒 Chargers