There is a new face at the forefront of Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) athletics, and he is taking the program in a new direction.
David Kent assumed the role last week as the university鈥檚 new director of athletics and recreation, and will lead a department of six varsity teams. All six currently compete in the Pacific Western Athletic Conference (PACWEST), but could soon be competing against major universities from across Western Canada as members of the CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport).
鈥淭he light at the end of the tunnel is the CIS,鈥� said Kent, a 91原创 resident who brings more than two decades of experience in post-secondary sports to KPU. 鈥淭he CIS is the highest level of amateur sports in Canada.鈥�
Moving up to the CIS level is what Kent suggested to administrators at Kwantlen, and was a big reason he decided to pursue the job.
鈥淢oving to the CIS was part of my proposal, a two-hour presentation I made during my interview,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 see why we couldn鈥檛 be in the CIS eventually. We鈥檇 be a brilliant bridge between UVic and UBC (to the west) and Fraser Valley and Trinity Western (to the east).鈥�
While some regard the University of British Columbia (UBC) as the ultimate CIS model, with UBC Thunderbirds competing in basketball, soccer, track and field, men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 hockey as well as football, Kent isn鈥檛 suggesting KPU should have the same kind of profile.
Like smaller CIS schools such as the University of Northern B.C. (UNBC), Trinity Western University and the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV), Kwantlen could field teams in just soccer and basketball, and be successful in Canada West, one of four regional leagues under the CIS umbrella.
鈥淏asketball and soccer are the core sports played everywhere,鈥� noted Kent. 鈥淎nd the soccer facility (at Newton Athletic Park) is already up to standard, it would be approved by the CIS in two minutes.鈥�
UBC is the only school in British Columbia which plays in the Canada West league in hockey and football. But it is one of seven which play men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball, and among five B.C. teams playing soccer in Canada West.
The Eagles already have soccer and basketball, with men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 teams in both sports playing in the PACWEST league. The women鈥檚 soccer team has appeared in three CCAA (Canadian Colleges Athletic Association) national championship tournaments, most recently at the 2013 event in Newton hosted by KPU.
He has plenty of experience working in athletics at the university level, having been employed at Concordia University, Carleton University and, most recently, the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) Cascades, where he focused primarily on promoting student-athletes. He has spent 23 years in coaching, management and communications in post-secondary sports.
Kent was head coach of the women鈥檚 soccer teams at both Carleton University and Montreal鈥檚 Dawson College before moving into administration.
At Carleton, he raised more the $1.5 million for the university鈥檚 19 sports team, and helped expand the athletic department from a staff of two to 40 part-time and full-time employees. He was also behind five successful bids to host national soccer championships at Carleton.
While he has a couple of things to tend to, Kent will spend most of the next few months meeting people and learning more about the university, its athletic department and his staff.
鈥淚鈥檒l see how we鈥檙e competing, I鈥檒l see how the coaches are doing and will meet with them,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have good people in the department, and they will guide us through the rest of this year.
鈥淏ut we do want to ramp up the marketing and communication right away. And I would like to hire a communications officer by next year.鈥�
Contacting Canada West, where he was served on the marketing board, is also on the to-do list.
鈥淲e鈥檒l meet with Canada West before the end of the year,鈥�, he said. 鈥淎nd we鈥檒l play by their rules.鈥�
