Going out on his terms
John Dakin retires after 32 years as teacher
John Dakin wracked up an impressive list of championships over his 32-year teaching career.
The 56-year-old St. Catharines native has four OFSAA (Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations) senior girls basketball titles to his credit, four OFSAA bronze medals, and countless Zone 4 championships.
But when Dakin looks back on his career, the championships take a back seat to the human aspect of coaching.
“Of all of the teams I have coached, I can count on my one hand and a bit the numbers of years we won the last game,” Dakin said from his tiny office located just off the gym at Governor Simcoe. “At OFSAA finals, I never mentioned winning. I broke the game down to its fundamental parts. Work hard, play your role, do the things you have been coached to do, and if we win, that’s great. If you do all those things and you don’t win, what else can you do?
“If you profess championships and winning, there’s nothing but a letdown.”
Dakin, who retired following the school year, insists there was so much more to his career than just wins and losses.
“I coached elementary school and had some really good teams. I had similar success in my mind at West Park before Simcoe and at the elementary schools. Maybe we didn’t win the championships like we won at Simcoe, but the message we are conveying back then was the same message I was conveying in my last year of coaching,” he said. “Those things are not about winning championships, they are about life skills. Peaks and valleys in life. Hard work, perseverance, dedication to team. None of that message has changed.
“At Simcoe I had athletes that were a coach’s dream for a 10year period, and I wasn’t a different coach then. I had more success than I had previously but the message is the right message.”
Success has followed Dakin his whole sporting life.
Those things are not about winning championships, they are about life skills. Peaks and valleys in life. Hard work, perseverance, dedication to team. None of that message has changed.” John Dakin
A top-notch hockey player growing up in St. Catharines, Dakin was named the Golden Horseshoe most valuable player of the year for the St. Catharines Falcons in 1980/81 after leading the league in scoring with 55 goals and 137 points in 42 games.
He was also a strong fastball player who helped the Cleland A’s to a Canadian championship as a catcher in 1980.
“Sports framed my life. It gave me my identity,” he said. “From playing ball and hockey in St. Catharines, I got a certain amount of notoriety. It came from winning and having success and reading it in The Standard, but if I didn’t have that success, I would hate to think that I would be less of a person or coach or player.”
Sports may have given Dakin his identity, but that’s not what he’s focusing on as he looks back on his long coaching/teaching career which began at the York Region Catholic Separate School Board and also featured stops at Sheridan Park, Jordan Public School, West Park and Ridley College, in addition to his tenure at Governor Simcoe.
“The best part of the job is the kids,” he said.
That really hit home, he said, at his retirement party last month where he spoke for 40 minutes.
“I was overwhelmed at the number of people that were there and the number of former students that spanned the gamut. There’s no one event or couple of events that stick out in my mind.
“I taught students 32 years and I treasure them. They’re always in the back of my mind. I could make up an anecdote about almost every single kid I taught and that’s a lot of kids.”
Dakin laughed as recounted how he used to stand in the halls and stare down the students as they made their way to class.
“I think about that and I’m going to miss the kids,” he smiled. “I chirp the kids. I’m in the halls steady. I love talking to kids, hearing about their lives, their problems, their successes.
“I try to tell people it’s rejuvenating to be around kids. Their spirt for life is infectious. You can’t replace it.”
Dakin decided last summer this would be his final year. He’s in good health, lives in Brantford with his wife Kim and two stepdaughters, and is also a grandfather.
“I wanted to go while I had my health,” he said. “I wanted to leave content. I wanted to make this year was a great year and go content and not have any second thoughts.
“I’m totally at peace with it. Very, very few people get to do what I did for 32 years. I leave with a treasure trove of memories and good feelings. I’m leaving happy. I’m not angry at the system, I’m not tired of kids. I’m leaving a great job on my own terms,”
Dakin, who plans to tutor part time in Branford next year to keep busy, hopes he’s left a good legacy.
“Everybody wants a good legacy. I want my legacy to be of a guy who tried to do things the right way, tried to teach, tried to coach the right way and tried to be fair.”
I think about that and I’m going to miss the kids. I chirp the kids. I’m in the halls steady. I love talking to kids, hearing about their lives, their problems, their successes.” John Dakin