Athabasca native Nathan Bennett is no stranger to accolades, having collected many of them during his long career in professional volleyball.
But he was still taken aback, and very appreciative, when he learned he would be added to the sports wall of fame at his old high school, Edwin Parr Composite.
“Disbelief, mostly,” he said of his reaction when he got the call from his old friend and teammate (and current athletic director at EPC) Chad LeMessurier.
“It’s a really great, fantastic honour. It’s a nice thing for the school to do, to recognize some of the people who have managed to (continue) in athletics after high school and university.”
Bennett was recognized for his long and successful career in volleyball.
He was a standout in the professional leagues of Europe for a number of years and came close to competing with the Great Britain national team at this summer’s Olympics before bowing out due to injury.
Now retired from playing, he is approaching a new challenge as the head coach of the men’s volleyball program at Capilano University in North Vancouver.
His many duties in that new role made it impossible for him to be at the school’s awards banquet last month, when his award was officially announced.
But he still has fond memories to share of his time at EPC and what it has meant to him since.
“I’ve got to thank the support system I’ve had in Athabasca, when it comes to guys like Sean Morrison, Bonnie Speers and Brian LeMessurier. Those guys really supported me from the very beginning,” he said. “My family as well, my mom, dad and sister. Everyone supported me through everything.”
He hasn’t forgotten his days playing club volleyball in Edmonton and the long car trips his family and friends made to help him get there and back. Speers in particular drove him to zone tryouts in Lac La Biche, and from there he made the provincial team.
“If Bonnie didn’t drive me, this whole thing probably wouldn’t have happened,” he said. “I’m happy to be from a solid community like Athabasca.”
As for his new career, he’s easing into the role of coach and learning it comes with a lot more book work than he might have expected. Taking the position late in the spring, he also started late when it came to recruitment, but he’s confident in the team that will assemble on the court this fall.
“We’re going to have a pretty solid lineup. I’m excited to see what we can do.”
