Bradshaw still a presence on the court

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This article was published 16/10/2017 (2888 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dale Bradshaw’s name will forever live on at the school where he influenced so many hearts and minds.

On Oct. 7, Dakota Collegiate hosted a community event to mark the dedication of the new Dale Bradshaw Basketball Court, which included a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a reception in the gym where Bradshaw was so successful, when numerous guests and visitors paid tribute to the guest of honour.

Officials say Bradshaw coached at the school from 1968 to 1982 and coached the Lancers to five provincial basketball titles and also led Team Manitoba to nine medals over a 15-year period. His list of honours also includes inductions into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame.

“Dale’s impact at Dakota as a basketball coach can’t be understated and is significant,” Dean Favoni, head of the school’s math department and basketball coach, told The Lance after the recent event.    

“He coached many championship teams and mentored several coaches who were once former players. His influence on the sport, on player development and coaching education reached throughout the province.”  

At the recent event, Coun. Brian Mayes (St. Vital), a Dakota alumnus, noted that work on the basketball court will be finished next year.

“This is a great day for St. Vital,” Mayes said.

“It will be wonderful to see the finished work next year, when the rubberized surface will be laid on the court.”

There was also an opportunity for some friendly banter from another Dakota alumnus about his glory days on the basketball court.

“I’m very proud of this project,” said Chris Sigurdson, board chair of Louis Riel School Division.

“I played for Dakota and men’s league basketball for the St. Vital Cowboys and I usually ended up trying to foul Rick,” Sigurdson said, referring to Dakota alumnus Rick Watts, who was named male high school athlete of the half century by the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association in 2012.

“I’m very proud to have been one of Dale’s players. He taught me so much about basketball and so much about life. And a great thing about the new outdoor court is that lots of neighbourhood kids will be able to use it.”

LRSD assistant superintendent Irene Nordheim said Bradshaw’s impact on a countless youngsters through the years can’t be overestimated.

“Dale had such an impact teaching thousands of kids and he spent countless hours coaching and mentoring them,” Nordheim said. “Basketball in the division continues to be influenced by Dale.”

Bryan Kornberger, who played basketball at Dakota for Bradshaw and has been the varsity girls basketball coach at Glenlawn Collegiate for more than 30 years, said his mentor taught lifelong lessons.

“Before videotapes became a thing, Dale didn’t need to have tape because he was so good at watching the game in real time. The only reason people caught up was when tape came in,” Kornberger said.

“At Dakota, we always felt prepared no matter who we were playing. We always felt ready. One of Dale’s best pieces of advice was to make your last shot.”

“Loyalty is everything. We played on the team, and we still feel like a team,” he added.

After listening to such tributes and more, Bradshaw — who was joined by his wife, Heather — briefly expressed his gratitude to the assembled crowd in the gym, but it was really a day for others to do the talking. And on the day that marked the start of Thanksgiving weekend, he fittingly noted that he had lots to be thankful for.     

The new basketball court is one piece of the ongoing development of the St. Vital-based school site that includes Murray Field, an artificial turf field designed for mixed educational and community use that recently hosted its first high school football game on Oct. 5.