Esterhazy coach gives back through energy, competitiveness

For over 20 years, Aimee Unchulenko has been coaching volleyball and other sports in Esterhazy.

She’s even starting to coach and teach the children of some of her athletes.

“I’m teaching, so right now I am on the junior end. The people I have coached, their daughters, have now come to my volleyball camps and I’m now starting to coach them in junior high school,” Unchulenko said.

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“It’s super exciting because they come and are like, ‘my mom was coached by you,’ and I’m like, ‘I can tell and I’m excited to have you,’ so they are so excited and so am I. I love the sport and love sharing my love of the game with them too.”

That passion for coaching has been recognized as she was named The Green Zone’s second Community Coach (powered by Kal Tire) winner of 2025, specifically for the work she is doing with the U18 Heat volleyball team. Unchulenko received a $100 gift card from Source for Sports as well.

“I’m speechless. It’s very nice to be acknowledged. I just love what I do and so it’s kind of neat to have someone acknowledged (it). It’s nice to hear,” Unchulenko said.

Aimee Unchulenko, centre, with a couple of her young athletes. (Aimee Unchulenko/Submitted)

She said it’s not the medals the teams win, it’s seeing the players succeed that’s the most rewarding part.

“For me, I remember most the girls who come into my gym and learn a new skill and then they go on to either playing post-secondary or they themselves become coaches. Those are the moments for me when I’m like, ‘that’s awesome.’”

Unchulenko is originally from Esterhazy and has played softball and volleyball at a high level, including time in college.

She wanted to come back to not only give back to her hometown but practice what her former coaches preached.

“I am from a small town and I had that one coach that was always saying, ‘just because you’re from a small town doesn’t mean you can’t go far or compete hard or do anything you want to do.’ So when I moved back home knowing I was living in a small town, I wanted to bring that competitiveness and hope that I can do this if I want to. I wanted to become that role model for kids.”

Unchulenko has managed to do all of this while also being a mother.

“I wanted to be that mom who still coached and did all those things because you can. I have a supportive partner who allows me to do that, too. I just want to be all those things for everybody and give them a place to compete, show other women they can be a mom and still be a coach,” she said.

“Also show girls in small towns that you can compete and go against the big cities where they have more opportunity and all those kind of things that come from living in a big city versus a small town.”

How does she find the time to juggle all her responsibilities? She makes the time.

“I was raised in a family where I went to my dad’s sports and then my dad and my mom made sure I went to my sports. It’s just the opportunity. Right where we live, there’s lots of great opportunity but everyone knows if you want to do more, you have to work for it and not wish for it,” Unchulenko said.

“I want my children to have that opportunity. I get up early and work out because that’s my mental (time) and I teach throughout the day and then we are on the road. I have a great grandma who drives one because we’re an odd-numbered out.”

What advice does Unchulenko have for people who are thinking about become a coach?

“Do it. There are so many people who think they should and they really should. We really need people who want to be coaches to be coaches. You need to be those mentors. There are so many kids nowadays who just need someone to give them a chance. I think they should just go and do it.”

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