Charles attended Hoover High School from 1983 to 1987. While at Hoover, Charles was involved in Student Council, Intercultural Affairs Committee (ICA), Special Olympics, Track and Field (High jump) and Basketball. Charles was recognized for several team and individual accomplishments as an athlete.
In Track and Field, Charles set several meet records in the High Jump that included a 5th place finish at the 1987 Drake Relays. As a basketball player, Charles was Hoover’s Team Captain and leading scorer and rebounder during his senior year. Charles led the Huskies to back to back State Tournament appearances in 1986 and 1987. He was selected 1st team All-Conference, 1st Team All Area (Des Moines Register), 1st Team All District (IBCA), Special Mention All-State (Des Moines Register), selected as a Dr. Pepper All-Star and participated in the Dr. Pepper All-Star Game played at the UNI-Dome on the campus of The University of Northern Iowa. Charles also received an invitation to participate in the McDonalds Midwest Classic try-outs, which is an honor reserved for the top players in the State of Iowa.
Upon graduating from Hoover, Charles continued his basketball career and education at Iowa Central Community College in Ft. Dodge, Iowa. Charles played one season at ICCC where he was a starter and third leading scorer on a team that finished 20-10 on the season. Although Charles’s basketball career as a player ended in 1991, his passion and love for the game of basketball did not. He began his pursuit of coaching in 1993.
Coach Charles Zanders isn’t a stranger to the life of a basketball coach. After spending eight years as an assistant coach to the celebrated Bobby Sandquist, (Former Head Coach of Hoover High School and current Head Coach at Johnston High School) he took over the reins of the Des Moines Hoover Huskies Basketball Program. In 2003 Charles continued the success to which the Huskies had become accustomed. Coach Zanders finished his tenure at Hoover with a 100-39 record, several conference championships and the 2006 Class 4-A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP title with a 26-0 record. His teams were best known for their defensive prowess and their personified class regardless the outcome of the competition. This 2006 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP was the first championship for the City of Des Moines since D.M. Roosevelt won it back in 1978. Coach Zanders was honored that year with the State of Iowa’s Class 4A Coach of the year.
Charles obtained his Bachelors of Science Degree from Simpson College (Indianola, IA) and his Masters Degree in Education from Graceland University (Lamoni, IA). In 2009 Coach Zanders resigned the Hoover coaching position to join the coaching staff at NCAA (Division III) Simpson College as an Assistant Coach. The following year he was offered the Head Coaching position allowing him to fulfill a childhood dream of coaching at the collegiate level. He remained there until 2015.
Charles returned to the Des Moines Public School district as a Behavior Coach at Meredith Middle School and Head Boys’ Basketball Coach at Roosevelt High School. As a Behavior Coach, Charles works with high-risk students in developing appropriate and positive behavior modifications, which helps students succeed in the classroom. He implements behavioral programs and teaches new behavioral management skills and strategies for staff when needed. Charles is an administrative leader in the Brother 2 Brother program mentoring young men of color in the Des Moines Public Schools community, specifically students of Meredith Middle School. He has been the recipient of the Omega Psi Phi “Leadership Award” for outstanding leadership in the Des Moines community and the “Positive Role Models” award presented by the African American Coalition and former local Des Moines NAACP president, Linda Carter. Charles has always been a great supporter of Hoover High School, participating annually in the “Dan McClannahan Fundraiser” events and relentlessly makes the care and concern for Hoover students a priority. He is a VERY PROUD Hoover Alum.
Charles resides in Des Moines with his wife, Linda, also Hoover alumnus (Class of 1987), and his two sons, Charles Austin, (Class of 2008) and Kellen (DM Roosevelt Class of 2013).