Sports Academy Administration

Ian Kennedy

Ian Kennedy

Director of Instruction

Prior to becoming a Director of Instruction in West Vancouver Schools, Ian has served in a variety of positions:

  • Vice-Principal at West Vancouver and Rockridge Secondary Schools
  • Director of Instruction and Head of Wentworth Campus at Collingwood School
  • Principal at Carson Graham Secondary in North Vancouver

Ian has three decades of experience in education, as a teacher and administrator. He obtained his undergraduate degree in Education from the University of Victoria and his Master’s degree in Education from Simon Fraser University.

Ian has a rich background in public and independent schools and is passionate about the evolution of education, the development of teachers, and the transformation of our public education system.

Ian has a proven track record of guiding innovation and his leadership work around school improvement has been recognized locally and nationally.

Ian is a former National Team athlete and has always been involved in coaching and supporting school athletics. He is a resident of the North Shore and is an active member of the community.

Paul Eberhardt

Paul Eberhardt

Vice Principal Academies

A Vancouver native Paul began his coaching career in 1982 while he was still a student at Magee Secondary and continued coaching as he got both his Bachelor of Physical Education and Bachelor of Education from the University of British Columbia. He also earned his Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Phoenix in 2005. He began teaching in the Richmond School District in 1989 where he spent 28 years prior to moving to the West Vancouver School District in 2018 to take on the job of Vice Principal for the Academy Programs.

During his career Coach Ebe has coached just about every sport but his main passion is coaching basketball which he has coached at every level including High School, College, Provincial Teams and the Canadian National Team. Presently Paul is the head coach of the Langara Falcons men’s team and the West Vancouver Highlanders grade 9 boys team. Paul has been recognized as one of top coaches in the Country as he was selected as the 2013 Canadian Colleges men’s Basketball Coach of the Year. He has also been selected by Sport BC as the Coach of the Year in 2014 and Basketball BC has named him the College Coach of the Year in 2013 & 2014 and the High School Coach of the Year in 2007 and 2011. Paul’s colleagues also recognized him as the PACWEST Coach of the Year in 2013, 2014 & 2017 as well as Richmond Coach of the Year in 2011 and the Lower Mainland Coach of the Year in 2007.

Paul has been chosen to lead our BC Provincial teams on numerous occasions winning five gold medals and one silver at the Western Canada Games and one silver medal and three bronze at the Canadian National Championships. Paul was also selected to be an assistant coach with the Canadian Men’s National Basketball Team from 2000 to 2004.

Paul is also one of only two coaches in the Country to have won both a High School Provincial Championship which he did in 2011 with the Palmer Griffins and a Canadian College National Championship in 2014 with the Langara Falcons.

Paul has also been very actively involved in athletic administration as he was an Athletic Director for over 20 years and he has also served on the Board of Directors for the Nighthoops Program which works with at-risk youth in Vancouver. Paul has also worked with Basketball BC on a number of occasions serving as the chair for a variety of elite programs and he was the longest serving President of the BC High School Boys Basketball Association serving from 2014 to 2018. For all his volunteer work in high school sports BC School Sports recognized Paul with a Special Merit award in 2018. Presently, Paul is the head coach of the Langara Falcons men’s team and the West Vancouver Highlanders Junior boys team.

Tara Ledingham

Tara Ledingham

Assistant

Tara was raised in West Vancouver and attended UBC and SFU, graduating with a double major in Sociology and Communications.

Since graduating, Tara has been employed in the human resources field for over twenty years.  She initially worked as a recruitment specialist for Medical Recruiters International Canada, placing medical professionals in hospital and clinic settings in the United States.

After taking time off to raise her two children, Tara was hired by Mackay CEO Forums as a meeting and event planner before starting with West Vancouver Schools in 2016.

Tara has also enjoyed contract work with BC Children’s Hospital and the Crystal Ball Foundation and was registrar for the North Shore Inline Hockey league.

Being a part of the West Vancouver community has always been important to Tara and she spent several years managing her children’s sports teams and volunteering at the school level.

Teacher/Coaches

Kathy Finch

Kathy Finch

WVS Teacher/Assistant Coach

Kathy Finch

Assistant Coach, Premier Volleyball Academy
West Vancouver Secondary School Physical & Health Education Teacher
West Vancouver Secondary School Program Head of Volleyball/ Senior Girls Volleyball Coach

Highlights:

  • Bachelor of PE and Bachelor of Education, UBC
  • Masters of Education (Health and Outdoor Physical Education), UBC
  • West Vancouver Schools educator for over 30 years, as a PHE specialist working with students, Grades 7-12
  • Developed the GIRLS FIT PHE Program at WVSS, a class designed to engage young women in active living
  • Volleyball Coach & Coach of a myriad of other sports for the past 30 years at high school
    • 4A Volleyball 2015 Provincial Champions
    • 8-time BC High School Provincials 4A Volleyball
    • Club Volleyball: 10 years BCO Volleyball Coach
  • Avid sports enthusiast and passionate about working with adolescents in PHE at the high school level.
  • Volleyball athlete while at CNC and past BCRPA Fitness Instructor for Spa Lady
  • National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP)
  • Level II certified Volleyball, and Instructor in Tennis, Badminton, Basketball, Gymnastics, Cross-Country Skiing
Rob Gowe

Rob Gowe

Head Coach
Jared Krause

Jared Krause

Head Coach

Jared has played both International indoor and National volleyball for over 14 years.  He was a setter for the UBC Thunderbirds men’s volleyball team and also played over a decade of professional indoor volleyball throughout Europe in countries such as Belgium, France, Finland, and Greece. In the summertime Jared plays in various professional beach volleyball tournaments across the Pacific Coast.

Jared has been coaching volleyball almost long as he’s played it, coaching at Thunder Beach volleyball club during his summers in Vancouver, as well as head coaching a women’s team during a season of his in Denmark.  He graduated with a psychology degree and has a keen interest for the mental aspects of the game.  He has also seen a wide array of coaching styles during his many seasons abroad, mixing these with his strong technical foundation through university and the national program, he brings a well-rounded background to the court.

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