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Tara Olding

Tara Olding has been a coach with Zona for 15 years and is returning for the 2023-2024 season.

She was a 3-year varsity starter for Santa Rita and played club for Cactus, prior to her time playing with Zona. Tara earned a scholarship to play at Western Colorado University (formerly Western State College) competing in the NCAA Division II. She was named to the All-American Second Team her junior year and the All-American First Team her senior year. She was inducted into the Western State Hall of Fame in 2006. In July 2009, Tara was honored as one of 12 volleyball players selected to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference All-Century Team.

Upon graduating, Tara served as the head volleyball coach at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs for two seasons. She has coached all levels in volleyball, primarily focusing on high school aged kids. During the 2016 season with Zona, she served as an assistant coach to the 16-1 team. This team progressed to winning a gold medal at the Southern California National Qualifier, earning a bid to nationals. In 2017, Tara served as an assistant coach to these same girls, now on the 17-1 team, and they won a gold medal at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships. She has also coached girl’s volleyball at Catalina Foothills from 2007-2010 and assisted with the Sabino boy’s volleyball program.

Tara is a Tucson native who graduated from Santa Rita High School. She graduated from Western Colorado State with a bachelor’s degree in Business, with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship and a minor in Coaching. She is currently working on her Graduate Certificate in Sports Psychology. Tara married Jamie Olding in 2009 and they have three children, Kaylee (13) who plays for Zona, Macee (12), and Tristen (8).

 

Tara said this about coaching volleyball…

"I love the game of volleyball and love the life lessons in playing sports that I had throughout my childhood. I want to help young athletes learn those lessons and enjoy the process. I enjoy the process of watching the growth these athletes have over the course of the season, and throughout their club career. I coach because when I was young, I struggled with being perfect, and having low self-confidence. I wasn't the greatest player on the team, but I loved the game. I had a coach that saw through my struggles and never gave up on me. If I hadn't come across her I would never have seen the successes in the sport, or in life, that I have seen. I want to pay that forward, and have that impact on a kid that may be overlooked because of their struggles mentally."