Men’s basketball co-captain
By Davie Wong, Sports Editor
A leader is many things. A difference maker, an influencer, a conductor, and an orchestrator. A captain is all of those things, and so much more. One of the things some captains are known for is being loud and vocal. For this captain, his voice is not the one heard in locker rooms constantly, but best heard on the score sheet. Meet Grant Campbell, one of the two Douglas College men’s basketball’s captains.
Grant is entering his fourth year of PACWEST eligibility with Douglas College. Since Grant plays as a point guard and plays a leadership role on the court, many put in his position would be quite intimidated. But Campbell believes it’s been a role that he’s had for a long time, and continues to play within the team. “I really had to step out of my comfort zone during my first year. We had a lot of injury and playing issues, so I really had to step up and carry a load. I’m not a very outspoken guy. I’m very reserved. It was definitely tough having to change how I did things, but a lot of the guys supported me and trusted me with that role.”
It’s been a mantle he’s carried ever since. But before we can really talk about the kind of player Grant is, we should take a look at what makes Grant the type of person he is. Born on February 17, 1995, in Burnaby, British Columbia, Grant Campbell grew up with a Jamaican father and Irish mother. His father was a former collegiate basketball player, and loved the sport very much. As a result, Grant grew up in a pro-basketball house. However, oddly enough, he didn’t grow up playing competitive basketball. That ended up going to his sister, who played competitive ball most of her life.
Growing up, Grant played a variety of different sports, and mainly focused on soccer and hockey. It wasn’t until grade 8 that Grant started playing competitively. Even then, Grant had no aspirations of playing past the high school level, having started later than most kids. But things started changing in grade 10.
While he was still playing high school ball at Fraser Heights Secondary, his sister was starting her collegiate career at UBC Okanogan. Although the two were at completely different levels of play, they both had the same issue. Confidence. “My sister didn’t really play much during her first year, so that didn’t help her confidence. We talked a lot after her first year. About things like confidence, the difference between high school and post-secondary, and we really talked about how being confident can really help you perform well on the court. That was really nice. We were able to go back and forth and feed off each other’s knowledge.”
Campbell credits his sister for much of his growth as a player. But he also credits many of his former teammates. “My teammates in the past have really been a big part in giving me the self-assurance I have today. They would tell me that they trusted me, that I was capable, and really supported me.”
Grant Campbell has grown into quite the leader for the team, and has taken his lessons in stride. But on the court, what does his leadership look like? Well, Grant is the sort of leader that you can watch on the court, and just know. He isn’t yelling, or screaming at his players, or very vocal at all. But he gets things done. If the team needs a point, he’ll make it happen. If the team needs to draw fouls, he’ll go and draw them. He embodies the ideal that the best form of leadership is, to be leading by example.
While ball is life for Grant, and has been for the past four years, he has other things going for him. In terms of schooling, Grant has just finished his Sports Science diploma, and is in his first year of the Bachelor of Physical Education program (BPEC). In the off-season, he trains, coaches in the community, and gives back to the club that helped him get where he is today. As a family-oriented person, if you can’t find Grant on a court, you can safely assume he’s doing something with his family. And I do mean the family that isn’t the team.
