Dang, Joe

A popular and energetic graduate of the class of 1961, Joe Dang is the first Canadian of Chinese descent to graduate from Physical Education – now Kinesiology. Joe was the manager of the Thunderbird football team during some of coach Frank Gnup’s most successful seasons. Apparently, the football guys have some good stories to tell about Joe. But Joe’s managerial experiences were not without some discrimination especially when the Birds travelled across the border into the USA.

It was also during the late ‘50s that Joe served as timekeeper at UBC basketball games. “He never made a mistake,” says former T-Bird star Ken Winslade. In fact, it was Joe’s knowledge of shorthand and ability to type his class notes that enabled him to help some of the athletes who had to travel out of town. Those same students claim they would never have made good grades if it weren’t for Joe.

In 1968, Joe obtained his Master of Education. After graduating, Joe embarked upon a teaching and coaching career in Vancouver and North Vancouver evolving to become a counsellor at Handsworth Secondary, retiring in 1994.

A very devoted family man he remains very active. One of his interests is Chinese-Canadian history especially his family history and he shares with us how he was raised in the back end of a tailor shop on East Hastings. What really stands out today is his status in the political world – as a supervisor of elections at both the provincial and federal levels. As Joe says “It is ironic that from not even being eligible to vote, I was now in charge of the election process itself.”

For more information refer to the “Victoria Times-Colonist” article October 21, 2008.

Written by Fred Hume, UBC Historian

1958 Physical Education graduate Bob Carkner was a man with visions; visions of helping others while at the same time broadening the horizons and raising the social conscience of young people.  A teacher and coach and ultimately principal at several Vancouver high schools, Carkner possessed that special ability to inspire us, resulting in his team being able to fulfill his visions. His former students refer to him as a “bridge builder.”

During the last 30 years of his life Bob was dedicated to creating a positive world. One of his concepts was leading his high school students toward his quest to build an orphanage in Guatemala. With new students each year he would maintain and upgrade conditions around this self-sustaining facility thereby not only providing the orphaned children a better life but also awakening his students to the world and inspiring them to improve this world. For the hundreds of students who have participated in Carkner’s designed experience, it has been a profound influence, redirecting lives and careers.

Carkner also established similar projects elsewhere including Viet Nam with the net result a one-of-a-kind high school course being created combining the learning about and travelling to different parts of the world “ . . . fostering the ideas of understanding, tolerance, friendship and peace,” in the words of Carkner.

Bob fondly remembered his UBC days and since the 1990s was widely acknowledged for his innovative work through articles, an Honourary Doctor of Laws degree, a TV documentary, the 1999 UBC Alumni Award of Distinction and the Order of Canada. Bob always insisted however that these acknowledgements not be directed toward him but instead cast a spotlight on, and draw attention to the “bridge-building” that continuously needs to be done.

Written by Fred Hume, UBC Historian

Dr. Dana A. Sinclair (BPE ’85) is a performance psychologist at Human Performance International (HPI), where she consults with clients from the medical, corporate and entertainment worlds as well as professional athletes in the NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA, NHL, MLS, IndyCar, PGA, Tennis Canada and the Olympics. She enjoys working with highly skilled and motivated individuals; and is currently writing a book on performing under pressure, using client experiences as examples.

As a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Family Practice at UBC, Dr. Sinclair also recently received a long-term service award from the Faculty of Medicine! In her words, “this simple acknowledgment reminded me of how professional and inspiring UBC is and has always been for me.”

Dana reflects fondly on her memories at UBC. “I actually started off as an Aggie getting water bombed in class by engineers before I happily found my way to KIN.” While playing on the national field hockey team, she also played varsity with her sister, Robyn Sinclair, and recalls that it was “great fun when our 1982 team was inducted into the UBC Sports Hall of Fame.”

Her degree in Kinesiology set her up to attend Miami University, Ohio, for a Masters degree, followed by a Ph.D. at the University of Ottawa, both in Sport Psychology. After this, she pursued further training that would allow her to become a registered psychologist. She completed a second Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge in England and returned to Vancouver to work in Reproductive Psychiatry at St. Paul’s and BC Women’s hospitals until she became a founding partner of Human Performance International (HPI) with her husband James Sleeth, who also studied Kinesiology.

Dr. Dana Sinclair is thankful to her father, esteemed UBC KIN alumnus and professor-emeritus Dr. Gary Sinclair, for the encouragement to simply ‘always be yourself’.

Dana’s tip to any new alumni: “It takes courage to try to be good at something, especially when the outcome is meaningful to you. Whatever you do, or want to do better, coach yourself to calm down and pay attention to the task in front of you, on what you need to do. As one of my more spirited and colourful clients likes to say, ‘You gotta get the most out of what ya got! Right Dana?’ Absolutely.”

Norm Watt was one of the originals, that is, a member of UBC’s first graduating class in Physical Education (Kinesiology) back in 1949. He was also an athlete and although not tall, was a notable basketball player and played Varsity Thunderbird basketball during the late 1940s.

In 1961 after attaining his Masters and PhD, Norm returned to UBC to join the Faculty of Education and was appointed director of Extra-Sessional Studies. It was at this time he pioneered a ground-breaking program for seniors that became known as the Third Age Spring Lecture Series. The first of its kind, it became the blueprint for similar programs at universities across North America.

Norm was also a coach – guiding the UBC Junior Varsity basketball team to national championships in 1966 and 1967 and was coach of the UBC men’s Varsity volleyball team that won the provincial championship in 1968. However, perhaps his most accomplished coaching achievement is his association with the Dueck Powerglides wheelchair basketball team – a team inducted into both the BC Sports Hall of Fame and Basketball BC Hall of Fame.

Norm will always be remembered by his friends and family as the architect of countless campus and community charity activities, many off-beat and fun. For his innovative educational and charity work Norm was awarded the President’s Service Award in 1991 and the UBC Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999 which he shared with his compatriot Norm Young.

Written by Fred Hume, UBC Historian

The late Dr. Barbara Schrodt (1929-2020) had the distinction of being one of a select group of UBC Physical Education (Kinesiology) graduates to be inducted as an individual into both the UBC and British Columbia Sports Halls of Fame.

A 1951 graduate, ‘Bim’ was considered a true ‘Builder’ as a teacher, coach, historian and director of women’s athletics at UBC. ‘Bim’ played field hockey and swam for UBC during the late 1940’s, then while teaching in the School of Kinesiology (then Physical Education) she coached the UBC women’s field hockey team for eighteen years. Dr. Schrodt guided the Blue & Gold to six Canada West championships in her eight years in which UBC competed in the Western Canadian League. Her teams’ stellar record was passed on to her successor, Gail Wilson, as was a prized tradition, one that even today has a special place in UBC history.

In 1957/58 ‘Bim’ began to lay the foundation for the women’s athletic program at UBC. For the next six years, she served as Women’s Athletic Director, helping to develop opportunities for women.

Bim’s passion for field hockey saw her establish the BC Women’s Field Hockey Federation in 1966, when she drafted its constitution. She developed a handbook of regulations and procedures after which the national level was modelled. She was president of the Vancouver Women’s Field Hockey Association and founding director of the Canadian Women’s Field Hockey Association. Her early efforts led to the establishment of a national umpiring certification still used today. All of these roles and actions had a lasting impact on the sport in this province and country.

She coached the gold medal BC Team at the 1973 Canada Games and umpired at four consecutive world championships. Dr. Schrodt launched the first publication on women’s field hockey, “Field Hockey for Women,” and edited the Canadian Women’s Field Hockey Rules and Umpiring Guide.  Her teams’ celebrated record was passed on to her successor, Gail Wilson, and continues to hold a special place in UBC history.  She completed her PhD in Physical Education in 1979 at the University of Alberta.

Over the 40 plus years as a UBC player, coach, administrator and teacher it has been the game of field hockey, women’s athletics and students who were the beneficiaries of the work and dedication of Dr. Schrodt.