Tuesday's With Dave

 One of the truest adages of the philosophy of Joseph Campbell that has been espoused by Dave Grace at Olympia Sports Camp and explored in A Hero's Journey: Beyond Little Norway and Olympia Sports Camp is that we are all heroes of our own journey. As heroes, who we become on our journey as far more important than any temporary successes and achievements we reach along the way. This is a favourite Olympia picture of mine as it captures a moment in time and shows the fun and camaraderie of Olympia Sports Camp. Here are some friends having a blast, a picture that is one of literally thousands that any Olympia Alumni can envision in their time at camp. What's especially poignant is that these young people took the lessons of Olympia, and their parents, and now are successful adults who continue to are grow on their journeys and are contributing to the next generation through the model that they are now setting for others. Alumni that Olympia should be proud of. A group of people a...

 Karl Svoboda began his rugby career at Belleville's Centennial Secondary School and the Belleville Bulldogs club team. When he started with the Bulldogs at 16 he was the club's youngest player. When he retired from the game he was the club's oldest, and probably most accomplished. Karl had success in rugby the world over. He won three OUA championships with the University of Toronto Blues and he first made Canada's national team in 1985. He ended up being team captain of the national team for years and played in the first three Rugby World Cups in 1987, 1991, and 1995. He also played senior rugby for the Ajax Wanderers and attended the prestigious Oxford University in England at the dawn of professional rugby in 1996. I gleaned this information from research because for a decade or more of sharing week 5 coaching duties and sitting around campfires this understated superstar would rather play guitar and talk about fishing or that day's bike ride or swim than boast ...

 The process of writing A Hero's Journey: Beyond Little Norway and Olympia Sports Camp involved interviewing camp founder and director Dave Grace many times. That alone was transformative. After one of these interviews, which lasted about four hours and happened to be on a Tuesday, I made a flippant comment that I should write a blog and call it Tuesdays with Dave, a moniker taken from the popular Mitch Album book Tuesdays With Morrie. That flippant comment became an idea. Dave liked the idea, and TuesdayswithDave.blogspot.com was born. Today I am writing the 140th entry into Tuesdays With Dave. This blog has been and continues to be a great journey. Today, through the efforts of Greg Rogers and Michelle Stockstill I welcome all those Olympia alumni, staff, campers, coaches and parents that are on the Olympia Distribution list of more than 10,000. To put this in Olympia terms, we are taking this blog to a whole other level.  Those new to the blog can go back and read the man...

 The Legacy Outlives The Journey This week is not about an Olympian, but for sure it is about a hero, and other heroes who have followed in his wake. Jacob Ranton was a true 'gentle giant' who excelled in basketball with  the Waterloo Wildhawks and Waterloo Collegiate Institute before going to Memorial University in St John's, Newfoundland.  At 6'8" he could score inside or play on the perimeter and in his sophomore year he was third in AUS scoring when he came home for Christmas in 2014. Jacob Ranton had seemingly everything going for him. He was loved by classmates and teammates because of his helpful nature. He also was hiding what his father Doug called a 'terminal illness.' Jacob died by suicide on Dec 23 2014, and no one knew he was struggling. The Waterloo region and Ontario basketball community was devastated with the news and rallied to support Doug, his wife Sandra, and Jacob's younger brother Trevor. Teammates and opponents alike streamed to ...

 Go Where the Journey Takes You Last Saturday St John's Parish in Burlington held their Mistletoe Market and A Hero's Journey: Beyond Little Norway and Olympia Sports Camp was there. Saturday morning at the market was yet another lesson of what can happen on any journey.  The hero's journey has goals but never expectations of what others will do. It's our journey. This book has transformed my mindset to be thankful for whoever you meet and whatever happens, rather than wasting energy on worrying about who doesn't show up.  That mindset allowed me to have a great day and sold more books than I thought I might. It wasn't the number of books sold that made my day, it was those people who represented my journey that I sold to. Interesting that not one book was sold to anyone who had any connection to the camp. And it wasn't my salesmanship! It was the journey of the land and the people of Olympia Sports Camp. I sold to a former colleague from my days at Bishop ...

 The Power, and Importance, of Community  Two weeks ago a golf tournament was held for the Kelly Dunham Memorial Foundation and the Hamilton basketball community that Kelly impacted with her involvement with Mohawk College, McMaster, and Transway basketball made the event a huge event. With Kelly being an Olympia Sports Camp legend, many camp alumni, most of whom had  deep friendships with Kelly,  were in attendance. I was unable to be there so I  donated as a Tee Box sponsor and donated three copies of A Hero's Journey: Beyond Little Norway and Olympia Sports Camp for the prize table. One of the Olympia alumni that was at a the tournament was Megan Reid. Megan is a hero in her own right as she has given of her skills and knowledge in coaching at the high school, college and professional levels, and is now the head coach of the University of Guelph Gryphons. Megan also impacted hundreds of campers and coaches in her years of coaching at Olympia and acted as a ...

 The writing of my two books Can't Miss: The Kevin Pangos Story and A Hero's Journey: Beyond Little Norway and Olympia Sports Camp  encouraged me to start my own company, that I am calling Can't Miss Publishing. If you have a vehicle to help others and show respect for those who have come before us, you do it. That's what heroes do and we are all heroes in our own journey. I know Kelly Dunham would have done it. In Kelly's honour I am doing it. When Kelly Dunham passed away on May 24 2020 her husband Doug and few others started the Kelly Dunham Memorial Foundation. In looking on the website the mission is simple, and direct. Check out their website at kellydunhamfoundation.ca Our Mission To continue Kelly’s legacy of kindness, inspiration, and generosity.  Helping organizations with the assistance they need with a focus on women, sport and community.  Our Vision To provide support by enabling those in our community to better themselves and achieve what they BELIEV...