Dr. Kate Kloos (MHK 2010) works as an educational developer and instructor at the University of the Fraser Valley’s (UFV) School of Kinesiology. Her current position has brought her full circle to where she started her academic journey. She went to UFV to pursue a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology, and then came to UBC to complete a master’s with a focus on Coaching Sciences.
While at UBC, Kate conducted her graduate research with the mentorship of KIN professors Dr. Patricia Vertinsky, Dr. Wendy Frisby, and Dr. Dick Mosher (1944-2021). She cherishes her experiences with her supervisor, Dick Mosher, who she considers to be one of her biggest inspirations and recalls how much she loved hearing about “his experiences coaching women’s soccer.” The personal connections she formed with her professors and peers, and later her collaborative projects with them, made her time at UBC nothing short of an unforgettable experience.
Upon completing her MHK, she went on to have a family and simultaneously began work in amateur sport in Vancouver. In 2015, she was introduced by a few professional connections to Dr. Jonathon Edwards, who became her Ph.D. supervisor at the University of New Brunswick. Dr. Edwards supported her throughout the program and who served as another strong mentor to her. She graduated with a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies, focussing on coaching education. Kate went on to complete a Diploma in University Teaching in 2021.
As a youth, Kate had a keen interest in sport, but due to socio-economic obstacles, she did not have the opportunity to pursue a sport. Even as a university student, she faced many economic challenges, as a mother and a woman in a male-dominated field. “Compared to my male colleagues,” explains Kate, “I’ve had to work extra hard to prove my knowledge and capabilities. In addition, my family was not wealthy. I was a commuter student from Chilliwack and most often enrolled as a part-time student, having to work a lot in order to pay for my tuition and accommodation. Because of this, I was not able to participate in many extra-curricular activities or develop deep relationships with my peers and professors, which often excluded me from some opportunities.” Despite these challenges, her post-secondary studies motivated her to improve sports experiences for individuals and communities in her future career.
Currently, Kate is interested in researching politics in coaching and sport leadership. She hopes to carry on with her research and professional development in teaching university students and to continue to learn more about leadership, project, and change management, in education.
Kate’s advice to students: “As the brilliant Laura Watson (a fellow UBC alum) used to repeat, ‘you don’t learn from experiences, you learn from reflecting on your experiences.’ Life has thrown me some interesting and difficult challenges and I have been fortunate to be able to reflect on these experiences and learn. It’s not always easy and it’s not always instant, but you will always have the opportunity to reflect on those experiences and grow from them.”
If you are interested in learning more about her research or would like to reach out to her, follow @kate_kloos on Twitter or send her an email:kate.kloos@ufv.ca.
