Coach Walt Stefani has guided many young athletes to excel at the sports of volleyball and basketball at the high school and collegiate level, and produced many All Stars, All Western New York athletes, and several All Americans. He has served the Orchard Park Men’s Volleyball and Basketball programs for many years, and has had many successes as a coach and mentor.

When Coach Stefani first started teaching Social Studies at Orchard Park Middle School in 1978, he was asked to coach the Men’s Modified Basketball team, and shortly after, assumed leadership of a struggling Men’s Varsity and Junior Varsity volleyball program at the High School. Over the next four years, he built his volleyball team into a “Power House” that won the Divisional Championship, and was honored as Western New York Volleyball Coach of the Year in 1982.

Under his direction, the Orchard Park Men’s Varsity Volleyball team has won 17 Divisional Championships and 10 Section VI Division I / Class A Championships, and 3 Regional New York State Championships.  In 1991 and 2008, Coach Stefani led his team to undefeated seasons (1991: 25-0 and 2008: 34-0), winning every divisional and non divisional match, all the western New York tournaments, the Sectional “A” Championship, the Divisional Championship, and the Regional New York State Championship.

Coach Stefani coached the Empire State Games Western Region Scholastic Boy’s team in 1985 and 1986, and the Empire State Games Western Region Open Men’s Volleyball team for five years, from 1996 through 2000. He served as a Mizuno High School All-Star Volleyball Coach (3 years), and was on staff with the U.C.L.A. National Traveling Volleyball Camps (9 years). Coach Stefani retired from active coaching and teaching in 2012 after  34 years of service to the Orchard Park School District, finishing his 30-year volleyball coaching career with an amazing overall record of 613 – 190, a .763 winning percentage.  He has remained as a Volunteer Coach for the Orchard Park Volleyball Program until 2017 when he devoted himself to full time care for his wife, Beth, as she battled with a reoccurrence of breast cancer.  While away from the Orchard Park program, that he constructed since 1979, he was there in mind and heart – VIVA!

Coach Stefani has remained active in promoting the sport of volleyball across the western New York community. In 1988, Walt founded the Power Station Volleyball Camp, a summer day camp providing an instructional clinic for boys and girls who are interested in the sport of volleyball.

In 1994, he formed the Power Station Volleyball Club, which competed in regional and national boy’s volleyball tournaments as part of Western Empire Volleyball Association (WEVA), sponsored by the USA Olympic Volleyball Committee.  Coach Stefani has also served as Western New York Section VI Men’s Volleyball Chairman, since 1999.

Over the course of his 30 year volleyball coaching career, Coach Stefani has won the Western New York Volleyball Coach of the Year award 8 times; twice earned the coveted Channel 7 WKBW “Super 7 Volleyball Coach of the Year” award; was selected twice to receive the Joe Gillespie “Friend of Volleyball” award, and was named New York State Volleyball Coach of the Year in 1994.  In 2000, he received the “Friend of Volleyball” Award from the Orchard Park High School Hall of Fame Committee.

In 2011, Coach Stefani was inducted into the Western New York Men’s Volleyball Hall of Fame. He represents Western New York’s first athlete to be inducted.  Coach Stefani starred at Lackawanna High School from 1970 to 1973 where he established many school records.  He also was Lackawanna High School’s first All Western New York Volleyball athlete selected in his senior year.  Coach Stefani led Lackawanna to a fantastic victory over Cleveland Hill High School which sported the nation’s longest undefeated nine-year winning streak of 107-0.  Coach Stefani was coached by Western NY Men’s Volleyball Hall of Fame Coach, Joseph Foley.

 

In 2014, Coach Stefani was inducted into the 4th induction class of the Lackawanna High School Sports Hall of Fame.  He starred on both the Volleyball and Basketball teams earning 6 Varsity Letters.  Wearing the blue and silver uniform of Lackawanna was special to Coach Stefani and he is very proud to be remembered as one of the “Steelers” finest.  Making the honor even sweeter, his mentor and high school volleyball coach, Joseph Foley, was inducted into the LHS Hall of Fame that evening along with him, and his legendary basketball coach, Bill Bilowus, was part of the 2nd induction class of the LHS Hall of Fame.

In 2015, Coach Stefani was inducted into the New York State Section VI High School Sports Hall of Fame for his contributions coaching volleyball athletes in western New York, at Orchard Park High School, and through the Power Station Volleyball Camps, as well as his service as WNY Boys Volleyball Section VI Chairman for the last 19 years.

In 2016, Coach Stefani was inducted into the New York State Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.  The NYVCA is made up of dedicated coaches from across New York State, with the single hope of building the sport of volleyball through knowledge sharing, player and coach recognition, and clinic and training sessions.  The NYVCA inducted Coach Stefani for his excellence in coaching and service to the great sport of Volleyball.  He was part of NYVCA’s second induction class.

In 2021, Coach Stefani was honored with induction into the Orchard Park High Scholl Sports Hall of Fame. While coaching boys volleyball he amassed a powerful 613-190 (.763) winning record while gaining 3 State Titles, !7 Divisional Championships, 10 Sectional Titles, and 2 Undefeated Seasons.  His 30 years as Head Coach of the Orchard Park Quakers was a fantastic run of excellence! Coach Stefani has always said that his blood is the maroon and white colors of the Quakers.

Coach Stefani graduated from Grove City College with a B.A. in Psychology and Secondary Social Science Education and received his M.S. in Social Science Education from Buffalo State College.  He lives in Hamburg, NY with his faithful pit-bull, Layla, his constant companion.  He has two grown children.  Mike, residing in Philadelphia with his wife, Shannon.  Coach Stefani is so excited at the prospect of a grandchild expected in August of 2019 – Coach will be a GRANDPA!  His daughter Valerie, lives in Santa Fe, MN where she is completing a vigorous collegiate program at St. John’s College

As a concluding thought,  Coach Stefani instilled in every team coached, as well as in his personal family life, this adage he learned long ago, “Hard work won’t guarantee anything, but without it you have nothing.”