Kevin Catliff

Class of 2012 Interviewed by Cam Henderson | August 2018

When we set out to learn something, we all start as a pupil, taking in information and discovering new experiences. We participate in such activities until we are able to flip the script and impart that knowledge on someone else, as they start their own journeys. Some of you know him as Kevin, and now others know him as Mr. Catliff. Kevin Catliff, from the class of 2012, has had a unique opportunity to do exactly this in his role here at Mulgrave. Once a pupil of the teachers he now works alongside, he has some very interesting insights as he, the student, has now become the teacher.

What has your time between graduating and working at Mulgrave looked like?

Since 2015, I spent my summers working for the Vancouver Whitecaps as an Operations Crew Member, which is the team that executes the transformation and operational setup of B.C. Place Stadium for every Whitecaps FC home game. It has been an awesome experience being behind the scenes of every game, getting to know the Whitecapmanagement, front office, coaching staff, and even the players.

Can you talk a bit about varsity sports and how it has influenced your university and career choices?

Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to work in the professional sport industry. I read about the Sports Management program me at Western, and I was hooked right away. Right after I accepted my offer, I emailed

the Varsity Rugby coach at Western and told him that I would like to try out for the team that coming August. He gave me the date, time and location for me to show up (with about 100 others) and fortunately I made the team as a first-year walk-on. I ended up playing varsity rugby for all four years and although at times it was tough to balance school, sports and a social life, I wouldn’t have done it any other way. The long-lasting memories of traveling all around Ontario and playing in front of thousands of fans (especially the rowdy student sections at Queen’s) as well as the brotherhood created by all my teammates was a truly special experience. In my final term of university I had an internship with the London Knights (an Ontario Hockey League team) set up through the Sports Management programme. This was an awesome stepping-stone for my career to finally have the chance to work with a sport organisation. I spent my time with them supporting the front office with marketing and promotional plans pertaining to advertising, sponsorships, and fan engagement.

Has working at mulgrave changed your perspective on what you want to do in life? If so, what has changed?

Working at Mulgrave and seeing the behind-the-scenes work that all the teachers and staff members put forth has truly been eye-opening. I think one of the coolest parts of my current job is being able to get to know all the students and be able to provide insight and leadership for their future endeavors knowing that I went through exactly the same process 5-10 years earlier. Everyday I wake up and have a sense of excitement and eagerness while driving to work, and I know not everyone in the world has that luxury. I have always had a strong interest in coaching, but my current position at Mulgrave has enabled me to get an understanding of what it’s like to become a teacher, and it’s something I am definitely interested in.

What is the biggest decision you have to make in the next year?

The biggest decision I have to make in the next year is deciding whether or not to pursue a Bachelor of Education from UBC or SFU! I am certainly loving my current position here as Athletics Coach, but in terms of my career development I need to decide on whether to become a full-time teacher OR follow my dream of

working for a professional sport organisation and go back to work with the Whitecaps or another team. That being said, Mulgrave is such a fantastic place to work with all the great students & staff, the facilities, the view, etc. and it’s going to be hard to leave all of that behind.

What is one lesson/experience learned at Mulgrave that still has an impact on your life today?

The rigors of the IB diploma and learning how to time-manage with all the extracurricular activities I did throughout high school prepared me greatly for being able to balance playing varsity sports at university. At Mulgrave, I was fortunate to have fantastic coaches and role models in Martin Jones, Gareth Ronald-Jones and Claude Leduc, among others. They persuaded me to try out for the Western varsity rugby team, as they were all former university varsity athletes themselves. I wish that all the current Mulgrave students realise that pursuing your athletic dreams at the next level is definitely achievable. I hope that after my tenure at Mulgrave ends, I will be able to say that I provided a quality experience and guidance for the Mulgrave student athletes of today and tomorrow. Mulgrave has certainly changed a lot since I graduated in 2012, and I love being able to have the chance to give back to the school that has given me more than I could ever imagine.

Shout outs to… (anyone you’d like to thank or share your appreciation for?)

My core group of friends since Grade 8: Eric Bleim, Sam Griffiths, Luke Allard, George Collister, Sean Bromley and Nick Pallone. We all played together on nearly every sports team at Mulgrave and even though none of them went to Western, we would all always make an effort to visit each other’s universities throughout Eastern Canada. It’s awesome that all of us have now moved back to Vancouver, and we still make time to hang out and play sports together (golf, pickup basketball, touch rugby leagues, etc.) I am forever grateful to have friends that support and push me to be the greatest, and I would not be where I am today without them!