Global
group

Exchange students from Quebec,
Mexico, Japan, and Hungary gathered
this fall for a special reception
organized by International Education
and Administration. Vice-President of
Instruction John McKendry expressed
pride and delight in welcoming such a
diverse group of young people to
Douglas College.

 

Dave Heel: The sporting life continues

For Douglas College’s new Sports
Development Coordinator Dave Heel, it
all began with a trip.

Dave spent second grade in New
Zealand while his father was on a
teaching assignment there. “I was ina
pee-wee cross-country run,” he recalls. “I
was in first place with 50 yards to go
when the boy behind me tripped me up.
I'll never forget how upset I was because I
figured no one had seen.”

Luckily, Dave won the blue ribbon
after the cheater was disqualified, but he
credits this event more than any other
with triggering his competitive nature and
interest in good sportsmanship.

Back in Canada, most of Dave’s
energy went into sports, especially soccer
and basketball. In his graduation year
from West Van Secondary, he also made
the football team, receiving the league’s
most improved player award while his

team captured its first ever BC
championship.

At Simon Fraser University on a
basketball scholarship, Dave completed a
degree in archaeology. It was at SFU he
learned “the real value of sport, which is
not the applause you get but the hours of
determination and self-discipline carried
out alone.”

 

Dave has another interesting journey
ahead of him as Douglas College’s first
Sports Development Coordinator. “Maybe
my degree will help me dig up money for
sports,” he laughs.

Seriously, though, Dave is already
hard at work promoting athletics and
programs, and developing sponsorship
packages for College teams. You can also
look to him for news of the College’s first
sport camp happening this summer,
sponsored by Sport Chek.

Dave would be happy to tell you more
about his work. Just visit him in the
Foundation office at the New Westminster
campus, or call local 5680.