Former Manitoba Bisons Duo Take Over Coaching Reins with Women's Soccer
As the sport Women's Soccer continues to blossom in the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference, CMU Athletics is pleased to announce the hiring of Cara Isaak and Lianna Bestvater who will begin co-coaching the Blazers this season.
The duo were teammates on the Manitoba Bisons from 2006 to 2008 and are both heavily involved in the Manitoba soccer community.
Isaak has plenty of experience coaching at the club, provincial and university level. The Charleswood resident began assistant coaching U11 girls with Portage Trail Soccer Club in 2010 and shortly thereafter became head coach of the U16/18 girls in 2012. In 2013, Isaak returned to her Bison roots where she added assistant coaching in the CIS to her growing resume.
"I am honoured to have an opportunity to work with this talented and motivated group and I'm really looking forward to being part of the CMU community," said Isaak.
In 2014, Isaak began working with the Manitoba Provincial program. First as an assistant coach with U13 girls, then with the Canada Games Program and this summer will be an assistant coach with the Western Canada Games Team.
Isaak is in the process of completing her Provincial B License and completed her Level 1 NCSAA Goalkeeping Diploma earlier this year.
Bestvater on the other hand is itching to take her youth coaching experience into the senior level. The avid player spent five seasons in the CIS with the Bisons before diving back into the local women's soccer league with Winnipeg Premier team Sweat Shack.
Bestvater's love of the sport has seen her gain coaching experience with Portage Trails and Phoenix Soccer Club as both a youth club and summer camps coach.
"This team has a great core of women that seem very excited and willing to learn," said Bestvater, "the atmosphere and the support that the team had in the final futsal weekend was such a refreshing thing to see and be a part of. The level, excitement and energy from both the player and the fans was great to see."
CMU Athletics Director, Russell Willms had the opportunity to work with both Isaac and Bestvater when he was a young assistant coach with the Bisons women's soccer program. "I am very happy to see these two women involved with our soccer program," he said, "they are both passionate players and people who I am very confident will continue to grow and develop the players and the program."
Print This Article
