Lifting up young Indigenous spirits through sports with Alex Nelson

Faculty of Education

2019 UVic Education Distinguished Alumni of the Year award winner Alex Nelson is recognized for his lifetime of achievements to change the world of sports and recreation for Indigenous peoples and for his work in suicide prevention. Nelson graduated from the University of Victoria Faculty of Education’s Recreation and Health program. Sports can provide youth with inspirations and role models. Inspired by his own life and his uncle, Nelson coaches, creates sports programming and believes in the ability of sport to foster personal skill and builds community. He helped create programs specifically for Indigenous youth. For Nelson, soccer was a chance to leave the school behind for a brief moment. He is a residential school survivor and discovered his love for soccer during his time in Alert Bay. “It is an opportunity and a time where you leave that institute, you leave that building, you leave that smell, the regimentation, the staff, and all that it stands for,” he says. “And now you have this freedom. You have the fresh air, you have nature, and you have the soccer ball.” Some of Nelson’s other work includes serving as Executive Director of Aboriginal Sports BC in 1997, and was involved in creating the North American Indigenous Games in Victoria. Nelson is also using what he’s learned in the sports world as a method of suicide prevention. Listen to this episode to learn more about Nelson’s story and how he uses sports to foster community and culture in new and innovative ways.