The thing I loved the most - and still love the most about teaching - is that you can connect with an individual or a group, and see that individual or group exceed their limits.

- Mike Krzyzewski (Duke basketball coach)

I've known Brad Johnston, physical education teacher and basketball coach extraordinaire, to some degree since he played hoops on some very good Forest Heights basketball teams in the 1980's.

We didn't know each other at that point but we already had many friends in common so it was somewhat inevitable our paths would cross in the future.

 

Although not in the same social circle, I've seen Johnston in action and up close quite often.

 

I've refereed his basketball teams. I've watched him outdrive me - and by quite a margin - on the golf course. And I've witnessed him orchestrating and overseeing the controlled chaos of a basketball camp my own kids attended.

If there's one word I would use to summarize my overall impression of Brad Johnston, it is this: passion.

He's passionate about education and the well-being of kids. He's passionate about coaching (mostly football and basketball teams at Westheights Public School). And he's passionate about relationships - be they with old friends, present-day colleagues or family. 

And yet, until we sat down together recently for a chat that spanned two hours but felt more like twenty minutes, there was lots I didn't know about the man. 

 

For example, I didn't know that for all his success on the basketball court (high school, Wilfrid Laurier University,  and then coaching at Westheights), his first love has always been football. In fact, when Johnson attended WLU, he was one of those rare university athletes both talented enough and organized enough to be a member of the football teams of Rich Newbrough (2 years) and the basketball teams of Gary Jeffries (4 years).

 

His aspirations to become a Golden Hawks starting quarterback were largely curtailed by the arrival on campus of Bill Kubas who became an All-Canadian pivot and Hec Creighton Award winner while leading WLU to a national championship.

 

Says Jeffries: "Brad was a wonderful all-around athlete and one of the nicest people I've met in sports. He was voted MVP by his teammates even though he wasn't a starter. It showed how much his peers thought of him and his contribution both on and off the court."

Speaking of peers, sisters Donna Murray and Christine Bryant have each taught with Johnston for many years and have nothing but positive things to say about their colleague. 

Murray, who's been his physical education partner at Westheights for 18 years now, describes Johnston as "an amazing role model for the kids he teaches and the boys he coaches."

"He's extremely passionate about coaching and puts a lot of personal time into it. His skill set and knowledge of the sports he coaches is second to none."

 

"But more important than his record of success are the lessons he teaches these boys. He makes them not only better athletes but better citizens. And he lives by the principles he teaches."

 

Bryant, now retired, is equally effusive in her praise of Johnston as a fellow staff member. "Brad was always positive, engaged and genuinely interested in what you had to say. Had a smile on his face all the time", says Bryant.

 

"All in all, an amazing person, staff member and community supporter. He's one of the things I miss most about Westheights."

 

As we strolled through Johnston's home away from home, the Westheights Warriors gymnasium, I commented that after 23 years at the same workplace, he seems like the poster boy for career contentment. He agreed but added another one of those things I didn't know about him.

 

"Earlier in my career, I really thought about making a move to high school. I took courses and made moves in that direction and, in fact, even had an opportunity to go to Cameron Heights. But in the end, I decided to stay here and am really happy that I did."

 

"I really enjoy the impact I can have on kids at this age and unlike high school where a lot of athletes begin to specialize, I get to work with all types of athletes because the best hockey players or best soccer players or whatever, still play all the sports in Grades 7 and 8." 

It's clear that Johnston is a Westheights Warrior through and through.

 

"I went here as a kid and still today a lot of my closest friends come from bonds formed here and at Forest Heights. Our group has remained tight."

 

One of those close friends is TJ McKenzie who nowadays is a Grade 7/8 teacher-coach himself in California.

 

"As a teammate, Brad and I were smaller than average size but we were determined and played harder."

 

"Brad always believed we could come back from any deficit whether it was five points or 50. Just a great competitor."

 

"As a person, he always presents himself in the best way possible and it is totally genuine. He works hard and acts the right way because it's the right thing to do and he wants to be the perfect role model for his students and players."

 

Johnston credits much of his success to the superb coaches he had over the years. In addition to Jeffries and Newbrough, he cited Ron Hahn and Don Page from his Forest Heights days; Tom Kieswetter, when Johnston acted as his assistant at the University of Waterloo; Tom McKenzie in baseball and legendary UW hockey coach Don McKee, who never coached Johnston but hired him at Westheights and taught him so much.

 

Another thing I didn't know about Johnston is that he had a sister Andrea who passed away from leukemia as a Grade 11 student when he was in Grade 9. 

 

"She was a high level athlete - played basketball and volleyball at Forest Heights. There's not a day goes by that I don't think about her."

 

Johnston provided the bone marrow that helped his only sibling survive a year further but when the cancer returned, the family knew it was only a matter of time.

 

"A lot of what I do is because of her and her struggles. It puts some of those so-called 'bad days' into perspective.""I try to do the best job I can here to honour her."

 

Johnston mentions two other special women in his life, his wife Charity, a physical education teacher at J.W. Gerth in Kitchener, and his mom, Judy.

 

 "My wife is the most important person in my life. She's such a great listener and life partner."

"She's my rock. I'm so lucky to have her in my life." 

 

Johnston's mother still lives in the Westheights neighborhood and comes to most of the Warriors' flag football and basketball games. She even bakes cookies and sometimes washes uniforms. 

"A big part of who and what I've become is directly attributable to my mom's influence and support."

It was Johnston's late father Greg and his mother who cautioned him to think twice about leaving Westheights when he was considering a change.

 

As we wrap up our visit, Johnston finishes with something Coach Newbrough once said when asked what his favourite part of coaching football at WLU was.

"My favourite part is when kids leave Laurier. Because that's when I get to see all the great things they go on to do with their life."

 

Johnston feels the same way about Westheights grads.

 

"I love running in to them years later and see how they're doing. I hope they look back with some great memories." 

 

Hmmm…a memory-maker extraordinaire. 

Now that's something about Brad Johnston I already did know.