Rene Quintal with a handful of Marauders players at Canada's FIVB Men's World League in Saskatoon back in 2016. (submitted photo/Rene Quintal)

By Jeff D'Andrea

Coaches Week

Once a Marauder, always a Marauder: P.A.’s Rene Quintal giving back to his high school team

Sep 24, 2020 | 5:09 PM

To celebrate Coaches Week in Saskatchewan, paNOW decided to reach out to local high schools to highlight some of the best bench bosses the city has to offer.

Rene Quintal has been a mainstay on the St. Mary Marauders senior boys volleyball team, guiding them to the finals of last year’s 5A Boys Provincials and coming away with a silver medal.

Since Quintal arrived at St. Mary as a teacher, he’s also coached pretty much every school sport with the exception of football and soccer — as basketball, badminton, curling, and track and field coaching tenures are all on his resume. He’s won accolades from the Volleyball Coaches of Canada in 2016 and was named as Sask Volleyball’s Male Developmental Coach of the Year.

But before all that, Quintal was a Marauder himself in his high school days on the volleyball. The legendary Dale Regel, who earned himself a spot in the Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame back in 2010, was Quintal’s volleyball coach. Quintal credits Regel for helping him play volleyball at the University of Saskatchewan and uses Regel’s teachings as inspirations for his coaching tenure.

“It’s a great sense of pride. I had a really good coach when I was in high school, Dale Regel. He really allowed me to open my eyes and gave me a really good opportunity to compete at a high level. I’m just trying to do the same thing that he did for me, for my students,” Quintal said. “Coaching allows me to give back to the sport that’s done a lot for me.”

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Even more than the achievements on the court, Quintal treasures all the friends and connections he’s made through sports. He’s met most of his friends through sports, and finds it gratifying when he sees his former players succeed.

“It’s rewarding for me when athletes come back reminiscing about the good times,” Quintal said. “Watching former athletes succeed at different points of life, whether it’s in university sport, or helping them apply to a medical school.”

Quintal has coached many sports at many different levels, tournaments and league play and playoffs and playdowns, and loves every minute of it.

But he has a soft spot when he coaches his sons, 12-year-old A.J. and nine-year-old Brenner, in their various sports like softball, basketball and volleyball.

“We get a lot of notoriety for the teams we have at school, but it’s just as rewarding to coach my own two children,” Quintal said.

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW