Episode 182: Vancouver Island to the NCAA and Back Home — Trinity Western, Coaching, and Life in Haida Gwaii with Cal Westbrook

About this episode

Cal Westbrook shares his journey from playing basketball in Vancouver Island to coaching in Haida Gwaii, highlighting his experiences in the NCAA and the impact of mentorship.

From Courtenay to California, Langley and now Haida Gwaii! Today we have the story of a guy Mitch had the chance to coach on the BC U17 team… wayyy back, and now is a coaching colleague, Mr. Cal Westbrook. Cal’s love for competition and the game was evident early, and a few coaching mentors in his area on Vancouver Island helped nurture his basketball career and ability to compete. Some early blooming, making the Provincial Team as an underager, and the ability to score the ball made for a great high school career! Once his time at GP Vanier Secondary came to an end, Cal started to explore some different options, deciding on heading to a D2 school in California, Cal State Stanislaus. After a frustrating Sophomore year, Cal felt like maybe it was time for some change, and he came back to play for the Trinity Western Spartans. It wasn’t a difficult decision as Cal knew players like Tyrell Mara (Portland State) and Jacob Doerksen (UVic) were heading home. A great three-year run and a national title appearance were the topping of the cake for Cal. In the end, Cal finished his degree and now finds himself coaching and in administration in Hadai Gwaii. This part of the story is special…

People in this episode

Host: Mitch

Guest: Cal Westbrook

Topics covered

• basketball
• coaching
• athlete journey
• NCAA
• life in Haida Gwaii
• competition
• mentorship

Keywords

• Cal Westbrook
• basketball career
• Trinity Western
• NCAA
• coaching
• Haida Gwaii
• Vancouver Island
• athlete development
• competition

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Trinity Western Spartans, Cal State Stanislaus

Places: Haida Gwaii, Vancouver Island, Courtenay, California, Langley, GP Vanier Secondary

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