Coasters: Fletcher Olson

Richard Dunn

NEWPORT BEACH - If nothing else, Fletcher Olson was born with a

good scene of humor.

When you receive draft notices in the mail and U.S. Army recruiters

call to confirm your sex, you chuckle.

When you’re the only woman competing on the Orange Coast College men’s

sailing team and nobody flinches when checking the names on the OCC

roster, it’s worth a good laugh.

There is much to extract from Olson’s coaching resume, but most of her

former Newport Harbor High girls tennis players would agree that perhaps

the longest lasting impression of Olson is her devoted personality and

enthusiasm for each player on the team.

Wherever there are Sailors, there are team huddles.

But tennis actually came second to Olson, who grew on sailboats in

Corona del Mar.

Olson, also the Newport Harbor Girls Athletic Director, coordinated

the sailing program for the city of Newport Beach for 25 years, and,

during the same span, directed the junior sailing program at the Newport

Harbor Yacht Club. She’s currently the advisory chairman of NHYC’s junior

program and her oldest daughter, Cari, now operates the city’s sailing

program.

“I retired last year (from the city and NHYC programs),” Olson said.

As athlete director, Olson often pinch-hits when a coach is needed.

Last spring, for example, she filled in as the junior varsity softball

coach and this summer replaced Brooke Fairchild as the girls varsity

basketball coach. (Fairchild later resigned.)

Olson also coached girls golf for the first few years of the program’s

existence, but the golf season was changed to autumn and it conflicted

with tennis, which is where Olson’s heart has been for several years.

Olson, starting her 13th season as a Newport Harbor tennis coach,

including her fifth as head coach since replacing Charlie Bleiker, has

guided the Sailors twice to appearances in the CIF Southern Section

Division I finals, including last year’s much-ballyhooed 19-2 squad that

was ranked No. 1 in Orange County most of the fall.

The 1999 Tars lost to Peninsula in the Division I finals, 10-8, but

captured the Sea View League championship with standouts such as Natalie

Braverman, Audra Adams, Kristen Case, Chelsea Godbey, Jenny Meyer,

Allison Schneider, Sarah Barker and Amanda Collopy.

Two years ago, the Sailors were also solid, but finished third in a

tough Sea View war with Corona del Mar (now in the Pacific Coast League)

and Woodbridge, then reached the Division I semifinals and lost to Dana

Hills.

Newport Harbor also advanced to the Division I finals in 1996 and

semifinals in ’97. The ’96 Sailors finished 22-3 and knocked off

Peninsula in a nonleague match at Peninsula, 13-5, to snap the Panthers’

120-match winning streak. In girls tennis years, that’s since the

beginning of time for Peninsula, which was formed from three high schools

in 1991.

“We showed the world we have some talent on our team,” Olson said at

the time of the upset win on Sept. 19, 1996.

That team, Olson’s first as head coach, featured Vanessa Godbey, Katie

Canright, Erica Nelson and Brooke Taylor.

“That (victory over Peninsula) was a highlight for everybody,” Olson

said, almost four years later.

This fall, Olson’s Sailors will include returning players Megan

Hawkins -- the third sister to play tennis at Newport Harbor -- Kelly

Nelson, Erika Buder and Krista McIntosh.

Newport Harbor also reached the CIF Division I finals in 1993, when

Olson was an assistant coach and the Tars featured Sara Hawkins and Mara

Colaizzi.

“We’re in the hunt (usually),” Olson said. “I think we’ve gone to the

quarterfinals, at least, every year since I’ve been involved with the

team.”

Golf became Olson’s third sport, which she took up five years ago and

is now a member at Newport Beach Country Club.

Olson graduated from Corona del Mar High in 1969 and grew up with

Marianne Towersey, the Santa Ana Country Club women’s champion.

Olson attended Oregon State University briefly, then came back and

enrolled at OCC, where she made her mark in sailing under Coach Brian

Lewis in 1971 and ’72.

“It was when women weren’t allowed to be on varsity sports, but I

sailed on the OCC varsity team,” she said. “I think I got away with being

the only woman, because my name is Fletcher and they thought I was a guy.

But I don’t think I officially got my varsity letter. There’s that, and

being recruited in the army for the same reason.”

Olson earned her undergraduate degree from Cal State Fullerton in

communications and photography, attended Irvine University School of Law

for awhile, and later got a teaching credential in business.

She has been married to her husband, Mark, for 28 1/2 years. They live

in Newport Beach and have three children: Cari, Lindsay and Kevin.