Former Truro man lands dunk shot as new executive director of Basketball N.S.
Nick Sharpe honed management skills in past Truro roles
HALIFAX — Nick Sharpe spent almost a decade in Truro reconfirming and accomplishing what is most important to him.
“Which is to put myself in a position where I can contribute to a cause I care about, where I can align myself with amazing people, where I can continue to grow, and where I can make a positive impact,” he said.
Sharpe was recently named the new executive director of Basketball Nova Scotia and he takes with him time spent as the Rath Eastlink Community Centre’s (RECC) director of partnerships and events (2013-18), executive director of the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) Association of Colchester, and as an instructor of a recreation marketing course for two winter terms at the Nova Scotia Community College Truro campus.
“I had the pleasure of leading Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colchester through a transition over the last few years to become even more impactful in our community, and intentional in how we support local children and youth,” said Sharpe, who has moved to Halifax in his new role. “I am thrilled to have this opportunity to take passion for community development and apply it to growing the game of basketball.”
Other BBBS accomplishments he talked about were participating in the National Vision and Strategy Committee, leading a capital project to build new office space, opening a social enterprise, and adapting programming and fundraising efforts through COVID.
At the RECC, Sharpe said he was responsible for growing membership and building up the region’s event hosting portfolio, which was accomplished through two Grand Slam of Curling events, the Down Syndrome World Swimming Championships, and the World Junior ‘A’ Hockey Challenge.
“Although we are sad to see Nick leaving BBBS and our community, I am sure that we will continue to build upon our great working relationship and bring many exciting new opportunities to our venues and region through the sport of basketball,” RECC general manager Matt Moore said, in an email.
Sharpe, a Mount St. Vincent University grad, refleced on his connection to basketball.
“Like many kids in Nova Scotia, I grew up in a rural community (Glengarry, Pictou County) and fell in love with basketball playing in our driveway,” he said. “I continued to play through my youth, and basketball turned out to be a catalyst for building lifelong friendships, growing my confidence, and teaching me the importance of challenging myself.”
Sharpe said sport isn’t just beneficial for a child’s development, it can be essential. He said with the pandemic halting a lot of activity, that highlighted the importance of sport and recreation.
“These next few years are going to be crucial in getting young people back into playing at recreational and competitive levels,” he said.
“I think there is a big opportunity to introduce more kids to the game of basketball and to elevate quality programming opportunities across the province. It starts with building capacity back up in communities across Nova Scotia and I’m up for the challenge.”
Truro’s impact Sharpe said he was impressed with the progress he witnessed in the community during his time.
“There is a new energy there; a commitment and desire to make Truro a truly great place to work, play, live, and visit for all,” he said. “I’ll always cherish all the relationships I’ve built while living and working there, and I look forward to staying engaged as I work with our local basketball association and stakeholders to grow the game locally.”