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UofGH students gain insights and inspiration from Raptors 905 coaches

Jonathan Hood

When he first began his teaching career, University of Guelph-Humber Kinesiology instructor Jonathan Hood was asked to give students an experience they’ve never had before. As someone who believes strongly in the benefits of experiential learning, he has taken those instructions to heart. He has used his experience and connections from the sports world to bring experiential learning to his students, and teach them valuable lessons that go well beyond the classroom.

“Experiential learning is an important part of the learning process,” says Hood. “There’s so much power in being able to be somewhere at a moment and experience something, and experiential learning takes your book, reading, and seeing knowledge to another level, and it makes your learning much more rich.”

Last year, his class attended an Argos practice. This year, Hood—a former CFL linebacker, and current PhD candidate, motivational speaker, and educator—took his Athletic Coaching Techniques students to a Raptors 905 game. Students took in the game, which saw the 905 score a victory over the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Afterwards, the students met with Raptors 905 assistant coach, Charles Dube-Brais and Head of Player Development, Justin Alliman, where they gained valuable advice, insights, and inspiration.

Dube-Brais and Alliman discussed their journeys to success and the lessons they’ve learned along the way, which included stints outside of Canada. “They had to experience a lot of newness, build a lot of confidence, and be at their A-game,” says Hood. “It was interesting to see where your passions can take you and how they can push you to step outside of your comfort zone, and that’s something they both spoke about – having a diligent persistence in work ethic.”

Alliman also spoke about how he landed his job with the Raptors 905 organization by preparing ahead of time, as if he already had the role.

Hearing stories like this from successful professionals in the field teaches students valuable life and career lessons, says Hood. “That work ethic, and having a vision and dedicating everything to it was one of the big takeaways that would be really hard to teach in a classroom setting.”

Hood says he received extremely positive feedback from his students. “They were really engaged, and might have enjoyed the discussion with the coaches more than the game—they were really intrigued and all highly impressed,” says Hood.

“The wisdom that Charles and Justin gave to us has impacted my way of thinking,” says Elton Thompson, third-year Kinesiology student. “I am grateful that I said ‘yes’ to attending the Raptors 905 game, as I would have missed out on a great learning opportunity.”

Cory Tebogt, second-year Kinesiology student says the trip gave him an inside look into coaching. “Getting the chance to interact with the Raptors 905 coaching staff was a great experience. It gave me a chance to get a deeper look into the game and to realize how much work is put in…this trip taught me a lot about how to prepare myself for any future coaching I may do, as well as the steps that I need to get there.”

Frishta Rahshani, fourth-year Kinesiology student says the discussion with the coaches resonated with her personally. “Although their speeches to us were focused on coaching, it really connected with me on a personal level,” she says. “The things they personally said to us about hard work, all of the obstacles they overcame, their aspirations, their advice on how to get ahead, how to be an outstanding coach and mentor; all of this really stood out. Their advice applies to school, careers, goals and life. It is something that I will use and implement in my life and I am very thankful I was lucky enough to be a part of this invaluable learning experience.”

As much as he believes in experiential learning for his students, Hood says he learns as much as they do from trips like this. “These trips are also educational for me, and through one ear I’m trying to listen and learn for myself, and with the other ear, I’m listening for what I can relate back to class materials,” says Hood. “One of the biggest things I took away was preparing for success. I do talk about that a lot in my classes, but hearing it from the Raptors 905 coaches made it come alive even more for me.”