2008 Woodie Awards
Sports Profile
Coach April Arvan
Brian Moser
Issue date: 12/10/03 Section: Sports
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How does one become a women's basketball coach with the best winning percentage in Lakeland College history? Just ask Coach April Arvan as she has accomplished this feat and even taken the Lakeland ladies of basketball to the Division III tournament three times. She has even been named LMC Coach of the Year four times (1998,1999,2001, 2002.)
Arvan grew up in Waukesha, Wisconsin. She started playing basketball in grade school and continued competing in this sport through college. Arvan began college at UW-Waukesha where she gained All-State recognition, but transferred to Lakeland in 1989 where she received Honorable Mention All-LMC.
She graduated from Lakeland in 1993 with a degree in secondary education and completed a Master of Education degree from Lakeland in 1995.
Arvan started coaching at Lakeland as an assistant for three years before becoming the head coach in the 1994-95 season. Since then, she has compiled a record of 190-49, eighth best among active coaches in all of Division III.
The preparation and practice have been a huge factor in the success of the Lady Muskies. They prepare for every game by watching film, reading the scouting reports they prepare, and learning how to beat each opponent. Every preparation is taken seriously no matter what opponent they face.
"I like seeing the new things we practice for each game put into action during the game," comments Arvan.
During the game, Arvan tries to keep the energy up. Sometimes this can be cumbersome, but she usually stays high energy. "I feed off of the players' energy and they feed off of my energy," says Arvan. This kind of enthusiasm always keeps the women's basketball team at a high level of play.
Another characteristic of this game is the learning process. "There is always a new aspect of the game that we learn about." Even after ten years, Arvan is still learning new things and growing as a coach.
The relationship between Arvan and her players is another factor to their success. "I like being around my players," she said. She maintains a strong relationship with her players because they make such an impact on her life. Players from previous years always come back and talk to her, which makes her realize how much she has impacted people's lives.
Coaching at Lakeland College has many great upsides according to Arvan. The campus is so small that everybody knows everybody else. Also, people care for other people on campus. She says that the administration is wonderful, along with the athletic staff. She says this is an all around great place to coach.
Basketball is a huge part of Arvan's life, but she gets away from this life a few times a year by doing something that she loves: traveling. Arvan likes to get up and go out. She likes to visit National Parks, monuments, and other places that catch her interest. She also enjoys planning these traveling arrangements.
Other than traveling, she loves spending time with her immediate family. Her family attends almost every game to support her team.
Arvan grew up in Waukesha, Wisconsin. She started playing basketball in grade school and continued competing in this sport through college. Arvan began college at UW-Waukesha where she gained All-State recognition, but transferred to Lakeland in 1989 where she received Honorable Mention All-LMC.
She graduated from Lakeland in 1993 with a degree in secondary education and completed a Master of Education degree from Lakeland in 1995.
Arvan started coaching at Lakeland as an assistant for three years before becoming the head coach in the 1994-95 season. Since then, she has compiled a record of 190-49, eighth best among active coaches in all of Division III.
The preparation and practice have been a huge factor in the success of the Lady Muskies. They prepare for every game by watching film, reading the scouting reports they prepare, and learning how to beat each opponent. Every preparation is taken seriously no matter what opponent they face.
"I like seeing the new things we practice for each game put into action during the game," comments Arvan.
During the game, Arvan tries to keep the energy up. Sometimes this can be cumbersome, but she usually stays high energy. "I feed off of the players' energy and they feed off of my energy," says Arvan. This kind of enthusiasm always keeps the women's basketball team at a high level of play.
Another characteristic of this game is the learning process. "There is always a new aspect of the game that we learn about." Even after ten years, Arvan is still learning new things and growing as a coach.
The relationship between Arvan and her players is another factor to their success. "I like being around my players," she said. She maintains a strong relationship with her players because they make such an impact on her life. Players from previous years always come back and talk to her, which makes her realize how much she has impacted people's lives.
Coaching at Lakeland College has many great upsides according to Arvan. The campus is so small that everybody knows everybody else. Also, people care for other people on campus. She says that the administration is wonderful, along with the athletic staff. She says this is an all around great place to coach.
Basketball is a huge part of Arvan's life, but she gets away from this life a few times a year by doing something that she loves: traveling. Arvan likes to get up and go out. She likes to visit National Parks, monuments, and other places that catch her interest. She also enjoys planning these traveling arrangements.
Other than traveling, she loves spending time with her immediate family. Her family attends almost every game to support her team.