UNews - Danny Balderson

The study of sports academies: Impact upon students

darcy.tamayose — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 22:13:26 +0000

Dr. Danny Balderson, a small town basketball star who led the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns to the national championships in 2000, is the only player in Pronghorn history to have his jersey retired.

Dr. Danny Balderson has been instrumental in helping to establish sports academies at schools throughout the region.

Today he instills in pre-service teachers his love of sports, and his philosophy that all children, regardless of circumstances, have the right to physical activity.

Balderson’s community spirit and commitment to inclusivity led naturally to his study of sports academies – schools offering sport-specific instruction as part of regular programming. Some academies begin as a way to keep students in school; others to keep schools from closing.

“They’re all different,” says Balderson. To gain context he visited ten academies throughout Western Canada. His findings so far reveal that academy students not only tend to remain in school, but they demonstrate greater dedication to all studies.

“School enrollments have increased,” says Balderson, “which means more teachers and possibly added programs and facilities all students can use.”

Educators also benefit. “When teachers who are passionate about a sport are invited to start a program, they’re engaged and invigorated,” he says.

Although initial outcomes are promising, Balderson plans to fully investigate the challenges academies face as well. Due to the nature of his research he has become recognized as an authority.

“I get a call every couple of weeks from someone starting an academy and wondering how,” he says.

He puts them in touch with comparable schools already operating and encourages academies to work together.

As an educator of future Physical Education teachers, it is imperative to Balderson that he remains involved with children. Sixteen years ago he created a summer basketball camp for youth. Today, the annual camps have mushroomed from 35 participants to more than 300. Balderson hopes to apply his organizational acumen to establishing a Western Canadian Academy Conference.

“Every academy is unique, but there are common elements,” he observes. “They have the same struggles.”

In the spirit of teamwork, Balderson wants to see academies unite, offering each other guidance and support.

For more information, visit:

Hanna Hockey Academy
Vauxhall Academy of Baseball
Westwind Equine Academy
Dr. Danny Balderson research website

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ values draw Hall back to his roots

trevor.kenney — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:31:29 +0000

Much has changed at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge since Ryan Hall (BA '00) ran the basketball court with the likes of Spencer Holt and Danny Balderson.

The concrete dungeon they called a home court is gone, replaced by the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness. The small, liberal arts school once known primarily for producing teachers has grown into a comprehensive university that initiates cutting-edge research from every corner of campus.

What has stayed the same is what drew Hall back to assume the position of Pronghorn athletics manager.

"You see the changes in the facilities and how the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has grown up in so many areas, but the values have stayed the same," says Hall, now a father of four. "It's amazing how many people I recognize from when I was an undergraduate here and who have stayed on as staff because it is such a great atmosphere."

A Claresholm, Alta., native, Hall spent the past four years in Greely, Colorado, earning a master's degree in sports management and working on his PhD. Fully expecting to remain in the United States, the U of L opportunity was too good to let pass.

"Lethbridge was really the only place in Canada where we'd come back to," he says.

Hall didn't initially pursue a career in sports management; rather he worked four years in Calgary as a rehabilitation therapist. His goal, however, was always to gravitate back to sport. It was a path he discovered through a course taught by then U of L professor Dr. Gary Bowie.

"It opened something up that I had never realized. I didn't know programs such as sport management existed," Hall says. "Health care was a good experience, I learned a lot and there were some good transferable skills, but it wasn't anything I was really passionate about and wanted to do for the rest of my life."

While completing his master's at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Northern Colorado (what he calls the other UNC), Hall cut his sport management teeth in a NCAA Division 1 environment. Despite the fact UNC is a new player at the Div. 1 level, it still presented Hall the opportunity to see big-time post-secondary athletics and the difference between the American and Canadian models is startling.

"It's big business down there, almost to an extreme. I think they somewhat lose sight of the student part of the student-athlete. I think they try but with the business approach they take, it's all about generating revenues," says Hall.
"We do a better job of prioritizing the fact our athletes are students, first and foremost."

Still, he recognizes that Canadian athletics can learn from its southern neighbours, especially when it comes to engaging supporters and creating passion for their teams, whether it is the student body, alumni or community as a whole.

"I hope at some point we can get a little more of that, and often times it comes from the people who live in the community. The community gets on board and supports the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as both fans and donors," he says.
"I also hope to create an atmosphere where we have our alumni excited about athletics and see them wearing it on their sleeves a little bit more."

He experienced that atmosphere, having played on the 2000 Pronghorns men's basketball team that hosted the Canada West final against ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta. They were the last really significant men's games played on campus and the series energized the entire area.

"In the end, you still have to be competitive and build momentum with winning teams, and I think that will come," says Hall.

GET THE FACTS

• Prior to coming to the U of L to study kinesiology and play basketball, Hall spent two years playing baseball at Cochise College in Arizona.

• He met his wife Terra (Dudley) while at the U of L. She played basketball for Lethbridge College. They have four children, Tevin (11), Abbie (9), Emily (6) and Brynna (23 months), with a fifth on the way.

• Hall describes ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Northern Colorado and the town of Greely as a parallel to the
U of L and Lethbridge. "The school focused on business, nursing and education, with about 10,000 students in an agricultural community of 85,000."

Sports Hall welcomes Pronghorns

trevor.kenney — Wed, 13 May 2009 21:21:13 +0000

It was a Blue and Gold night recently at the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fames' annual induction ceremony and banquet.

A pair of former Pronghorn basketball players were inducted into the hall as athletes, while another alumnus earned induction for his contributions to the sport of curling.

Inducted into the hall were Dori (Rodzinyak) Johnson (BA '87), Danny Balderson (BA/BEd '01) and Don Chandler (BASC '73).

Johnson was a star point guard with the Pronghorns women's basketball team from 1982 through 1987. In five Canada West seasons she garnered four all-star nods and was named team most valuable player from 1982 through 1985.

Johnson would return to the U of L in 1991-92 and take over the head-coaching role of the Pronghorns. A year later, she would guide the Horns to their first Canada West title and a fourth place finish at the national championship tournament.

Balderson is the most decorated player in the history of the men's basketball program. Over a five-year career that began in 1993-94, Balderson won a national rookie of the year honour, was a two-time Canada West player of the year, two-time, first-team All-Canadian and CIS player of the year. Balderson would conclude his career as the U of L's all-time leading scorer with 2,000 points and have his No. 31 jersey retired.

Chandler was elected into the builders' category for his long association with curling in southern Alberta. Over a 30-year span, Chandler has contributed to the growth and development of the Lethbridge Curling Club, serving in various capacities.

Prentice in good hands with McDaniel as lead

trevor.kenney — Tue, 12 May 2009 20:43:16 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President Dr. Bill Cade chats about what's happening in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community

It was with great pleasure that the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ announced the appointment of Dr. Susan McDaniel as the first Director of the Prentice Institute. When the Institute was first established in 2006, thanks to the generous donation of the Prentice family, the mandate was to create an internationally recognized centre for the research of big-picture issues relating to global population change and demographics. At that time we expected to attract someone of great prominence to the role of Director because of the opportunity it presented.

Dr. McDaniel is exactly the calibre of researcher we envisioned filling this role and I am excited to have her join the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. I look forward to watching the Prentice Institute take shape under her stewardship.

As we approach Spring Convocation, I want to congratulate personally all those who will be participating in this joyous occasion. You have worked hard over your years here at the U of L and it is exciting to see that work pay off in the culmination of your goals.

I have been through many convocation ceremonies and while they are all similar in nature, each one is unique in its own right. I want to thank the many people who make the event happen, from the convocation committee to the volunteers to the Registrar's Office. I am sure they encounter a variety of glitches behind the scenes but year after year, the ceremonies continue to run like clockwork and are presented flawlessly.

It is with great pleasure that we present a number of awards at convocation. We should be proud to celebrate achievement and recognize those individuals who have distinguished themselves. As a researcher and educator, I take particular note of the Ingrid Speaker Medal and Distinguished Teacher Award honours. Congratulations respectively to Dr. Brian Titley and Dr. Ian McAdam.

Welcome back to Dave Adams, recently named the new head coach of the Pronghorns men's basketball program. Dave brings a great deal of enthusiasm to the program and I wish him well in his goal to grow what he deems, "Horns Nation". I share in his vision of a national championship team playing to sellout crowds at the 1st Choice Savings Centre.

A number of sporting dignitaries with strong ties to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ were inducted into the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame recently. In fact, the entire evening was a Blue and Gold affair, right down to the event's master of ceremonies (alumnus Toby Boulet) and guest speaker (alumnus Neil Langevin). Congratulations to inductees and alumni Dori (Rodzinyak) Johnson, Danny Balderson and Don Chandler as well as Kinsmen Sportspersons of the Year and Pronghorn athletes Jim Steacy and Ashley Patzer.

Congratulations to Keith Robin, recently named the Rotary Club of Lethbridge's 2008 Citizen of the Year. A Chancellor Emeritus of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ from 1987 to 1991, Robin was heavily involved in the LINC fundraising effort and is someone who we still see often at the U of L and associated events.

Finally, I look forward to the upcoming Board of Directors retreat later this month. It will be held at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ for the first time in quite a while and will help the Board appreciate what it is like to be a student here on campus. It promises to be an enlightening event.

Steacy, Patzer named Athletes of Year

trevor.kenney — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:30:20 +0000

Pronghorn thrower Jim Steacy and women's rugby fullback Ashley Patzer were named Male and Female Athletes of the Year respectively at the annual Blue and Gold Pronghorn Athletics banquet Friday night.

Over 330 athletes, administrators and special guests were in attendance for the supper and awards ceremony where former Pronghorn basketball star, Danny Balderson, served as guest speaker.

Steacy, thought to be the most decorated track athlete in CIS history, won his fifth Athlete of the Year honour, one for every year in which he competed for the U of L. Coming back from a year off to compete in the Beijing Olympics, Steacy continued his dominance of the CIS scene.

For the fifth time, Steacy broke both the Canada West and CIS records in weight throw, winning gold at both championship meets. His furthest throw of 24.08 metres in the weight throw, the last of his CIS career, was five metres better than his nearest competitor. It also beat the NCAA gold medalist by more than two metres, becoming the only CIS track mark to outdo its American counterpart.

Patzer led the women's rugby team to its second CIS title, while being named the tournament most valuable player and an all-star.

The Horns captain, and former CIS player of the year, was a dominant force at the CIS Championships leading the tournament in scoring with 34 points. The Lethbridge native was also named Athlete of the Year in 2006-07.

Megan Bach of the women's hockey team received the President's Award, rewarding the student athlete with the highest academic standing at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. Bach achieved a perfect GPA of 4.00. The men's track and field team won the Team Academic Award, as they achieved a cumulative 3.13 GPA.

Following are team MVP honours as selected by their respective teammates.

Team MVP
Men's Soccer – Ryan Conn
Women's Soccer – Jessica Dearlove
Men's Hockey – Scott Bowles
Women's Hockey – Charlette Hainer
Men's Basketball – Danhue Lawrence and Allen Kadima
Women's Basketball – Hannah Blanchette
Men's Swimming – Jeffrey Nicol
Women's Swimming – Kristy Gabruck
Men's Track – Jim Steacy
Women's Track – Heather Steacy
Women's Rugby – Ashley Patzer

UNews - Danny Balderson

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