By Kris Leonhardt

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – The coach who has been at the helm of the Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings Junior A hockey team since its establishment in Wisconsin Rapids is stepping down.

After 30 years of coaching – eight of them with the Riverkings – head coach, Marty Quarters will retire.

“We started the Riverkings in 2014.  We felt Wisconsin Rapids was the type of community that would support a Junior A Team with having a good fan base, community support, and host families,” Quarters recalled. “Owner John Schwarz and I came up with the team name Riverkings by focusing on the history of Wisconsin Rapids.  We felt the team colors of blue and green would represent the trees, rivers, and lakes in central Wisconsin.  The team logo is a Muskogee fish representing Wisconsin’s state fish.”

Before the team moved to Wisconsin Rapids, Quarters was coaching the Central Wisconsin Saints in Stevens Point.

“I was hired right before the season began in Stevens Point in 2013, from the beginning our goal was to build a top flight Junior hockey team, and Stevens Point already had both a successful high school hockey program and college program so we knew early on that we would be looking to find our team a permanent home,” he explained.

“The Riverkings community opened their arms and invited us in and has been our home for the last eight years.  Our son graduated from Lincoln High School; my wife was employed by a local business; this was our home.

“It was an easy town for me to recruit players to because it’s a safe environment with so much community backing; our host families are one of the greatest strengths of our program, without our billets we have nowhere for our incoming players to live.

“I feel that we have built a first class, professionally run hockey program which gives our players the resources to develop their game both on and off the ice, as they progress into better hockey players and outstanding young men.

“On the ice we are proud of being one of the top teams year in and year out.  Our record set a standard for consistency and excellence, winning 32 or more games out of a 44 game regular season.  We have earned home ice seven out of eight years. We have had two league championships, two national appearances, three coach of the year honors, and have compiled an impressive 274 wins versus 69 losses for a 77.84 win percentage.”

After 30 years in coaching hockey, Quarters has decided to retire and assist with his son’s company, “Rule 1 Sports” as a consultant and hockey advisor. Quarters and his wife are relocating to Montana.

“I am excited to see the Riverkings stay in Wisconsin Rapids and continue to grow,” Quarters added.

“I feel that we have left a strong legacy and a winning culture that our community can be proud of, along with an identity for volunteering and giving back to our community; “give more than you receive” is our team motto as we are always looking to build hockey up and down the river.”