Douglas athletic director receives national award

Director recognized for impressive record

By Colten Kamlade, Staff Reporter

The title of Athletic Director of the Year, awarded by the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), has rarely been bestowed upon members of the Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST). This year, Brian McLennon of Douglas College became the most recent director to receive this honour.

According to the CCAA website, part of the reason he was chosen was due to his impressive record on the court and field.

“McLennon’s guidance and leadership featured a highly skilled group of student athletes who excelled at the national level throughout the 2017-18 season,” stated the website. “The Royals were crowned champions in the men’s event at the 2018 CCAA / Curling Canada Championships. In addition, Douglas earned CCAA silver medals in Men’s Soccer, Women’s Volleyball and Men’s Basketball. After capturing four provincial gold medals this season, Douglas also earned the PACWEST Aggregate Championship Trophy for the first time in 10 years.”

It’s not just his athletic record that is impressive. McLennon has been involved in the Douglas College community in many other ways. For instance, he was an integral part of “Make Some Noise for Mental Health,” the goal of which was to raise awareness for mental health issues that many people struggle with. Moreover, McLennon has also encouraged events such as “Miles for Mental Health” and “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes.” The latter is described on their website as the “the international men’s march to stop rape, sexual assault, and gender violence.”

According to the CCAA website, McLennon is far more than just an athletic director, but a vital part of the Douglas College community.

“McLennon, who is also a Royals Athletics Alumni (Men’s Basketball, 1999-2001), understands the challenges and stress associated with balancing varsity athletic commitment and studies, which results in him demonstrating great empathy and support for student-athletes. He is also constantly striving to create and foster an inclusive, accountable, successful environment for all staff and student-athletes and more broadly across the institution,” stated the website.

McLennon told the Douglas College blog how he felt about having received the award.

“It’s humbling and emotional. I always dreamed of being an athletic director, even as far back as high school, but getting this sort of recognition isn’t something I set out to do. I’d rather the award was for the athletic department of the year, because this success isn’t mine alone, it belongs to everyone who worked to get us to where we are,” said McLennon in the blog post.