New Althoff AD faces challenges of leading program during COVID-19 pandemic
For just about as long as Kathy Wuller can remember, much of her life has revolved around Althoff High School athletics.
A 1983 Althoff graduate, Wuller was a standout four-sport athlete competing in volleyball, basketball, softball and track and field, before going on to a stellar college volleyball career at SW Missouri State University (Missouri State) and then playing two years of professional volleyball with the Minnesota Monarchs of Major League Volleyball.
But since the early 1990’s, Wuller has been a fixture on the Althoff coaching staff. Now, after helping to build one of the top volleyball programs in the state, Wuller, 54, faces the challenge of leading Crusaders athletics during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond as Althoff’s new athletic director.
Wuller began her new job in July, taking over for Greg Leib, who is now an assistant principal at Althoff. Leib remains the Crusaders head boys basketball coach.
Never one to back down from a challenge, Wuller is excited about her new position.
“I really am excited to do this job. Unfortunately, it’s a tough time to take over, but it’s an exciting time for me,” Wuller said. “Sports have been my life, so being in this position is something I have thought about for many years. But this is my first opportunity to step into this.
“I am enjoying it. But it has been very challenging. Because of COVID-19, this has been the busiest job I have had in this building by far. Just with all the schedule changes and trying to keep with all the changes.
“One day the IHSA will say something and then the next day Governor (J.B.) Pritzker will say something else. The IDPH is telling you that you need to do something and then we have our own rules within the school ... it’s just been crazy. Every part of this job is non-stop. It really is non-stop all day long.”
Building a dominant program
Wuller has also coached boys tennis and she started the boys volleyball program at Althoff when it became an IHSA sanctioned sport several years ago.
But girls volleyball is where the Crusaders became one of the elite programs in the state. In 13 years as head coach, Wuller led Althoff to 390 wins. The Crusaders advanced to the IHSA state finals six times and added five trophies to the Althoff trophy case.
Volleyball is also a family sport for Wuller, whose niece Sara Thomas is the head coach at Eastern Illinois University while another nIece, Carly Thomas, is an assistant coach at Montana State.
Wuller resigned after the 2008 season, but remained close to the program.. She most recently coached the Althoff junior varsity team. Now Wuller will oversee all the Crusaders athletic squads.
“Sports have been my life. I love working with the athletes. I love being around kids. I feel like I’m normally pretty organized even though you would never know it by looking at my desk. But yes, this (being AD) is something I’ve thought about,” Wuller said.
“I wasn’t sure. This is a very time consuming job. Having to be at all of the events, especially the ones here on campus. It’s a lot of nights. and I wanted to be able to spend time with my family. But when the opportunity came about this summer, I jumped on it.”
Issues with COVID-19
Like all athletic directors in Illinois, Wuller is working hard with members of the Althoff administration, coaching staff and athletes to make sure the directives of the IHSA and Illinois Department of Public Health are followed when it comes to the IHSA’S Return to Activities plan regarding COVID-19.
Wuller said there are currently 270 students at Althoff. And while numbers have not been an issue in the IHSA’s revised 2020-21 fall sports schedule — which includes golf, girls tennis, cross country and girls swimming and diving — she is concerned about having enough athletes in the spring when football and soccer will be played.
“The numbers are a concern when it’s football season and we’re playing soccer at the same time ... it’s fine right now,” Wuller said. “Baseball is supposed to be a summer sport, but when you have football and soccer in the spring ... it’s going to be difficult for some smaller schools. But I think we’re going to be fine. Hopefully the IHSA figures it out. They are aware that the smaller schools are going to find it difficult to field some teams and I think they are keeping that in mind.
“Hopefully they will be able to figure something out with the scheduling or if we can figure something out within the school systems to where we can have kids play both sports.. But I’m not even thinking about that right now because I think things are going to change so much between now and the time when football and soccer start.”
Concern with winter sports
Wuller is worried about the winter season, which will run from Nov. 16-Feb. 13. With the number of positive COVID-19 cases still high in St. Clair County and boys and girls basketball as the main sports, Wuller has concerns for both players and fans.
“I worry about the winter sports — basketball, which is inside. With the COVID-19 numbers higher around here, I hope we can play,” Wuller said. “I don’t think there will be spectators. They say you can have 50 people in the gym. That is basically our team’s parents.
“Now, do we not allow the other teams’ parents in? How fair is that? Then for those of them who are not allowed in the gym you are going to want to have some way of letting them watch it on line or videotaping it so they can watch it that way.”
Wuller said the COVID-19 situation changes daily.
“I have an IHSA meeting every Monday with the Illinois Athletic Directors Association and Craig Anderson and others from the IHSA who tell us what the updates are,” Wuller said. “In some cases, they (the IHSA) isn’t sure what they are going to do.
“I don’t like talking to people about it, because I can tell them at noon that it’s going to be one way then at 3 p.m. it’s something totally different.”
Hoping for the best
Sadly, for most high school athletes competing this fall, the IHSA announced Monday the postseason would consist of a single competition within their COVID-19 regions with no sectional or state meets being held.
Like most coaches or people closely associated with Illinois high school athletics, Wuller watched as COVID-19 took away the entire spring season and the opportunity for athletes to compete.
Wuller doesn’t want to see it happen again.
“I can’t image what it was like for the athletes last spring and not being able to compete. And it just wasn’t about the seniors. That was awful, but it was awful for all of the athletes,” Wuller said. “Sports got me through school. It was motivation to do well in school. It was motivation to come to school for me. Kids who are like that, to have the opportunities that were taken away from them because of this pandemic was sad.
“I hope that the teams and athletes that missed out last year will have the opportunity to play this year. I can’t imagine them missing out on two years.”
