Linda Vail Dodd BEd’74

By Julie Woldu BAJ'07

Of all the things that Linda Vail Dodd learned at the University of Regina, one of the most valuable was how to turn archrivals into teammates. Fifty years later, those same teammates have become lifelong friends she still meets with at least once a year. “We came from fairly diverse backgrounds and there we all were, playing together,” she says from her home in Regina. “It took a long time to get to know one another.”

Dodd played four seasons with the University of Regina Cougettes basketball team before earning her Bachelor of Education as part of the first U of R graduating class in 1974. After growing up in Regina playing many different team sports at Davin Elementary School and Central Collegiate, joining the Cougettes basketball team was a natural choice.

In Linda’s first year, Sheila Ward coached the team before Sue Higgs took over for the following three seasons. The Cougettes’ best record over Dodd’s four years was 8-and-8, but that wasn’t what it was all about for Dodd. “Every day was great because we got to go play basketball,” Dodd says. Most of the women on the team had never flown before, so travelling by plane to other provinces in the Cougette dark green blazers, green skirts, and white blouses was a highlight. So was being named GPAC first-team all-star in her third year and GPAC second-team all-star in her fourth.

In the summers, some of the athletes and Physical Education students taught the U of R’s Summer Sports School, contributing to Dodd’s career choice in education. After graduation, she applied for a teaching job and was hired in Regina as a physical education teacher at Balfour Collegiate. She then spent time teaching at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (now Saskatchewan Polytechnic).

Her next position was at Harrow DeGroot School. Dodd finished teaching every day at 2:30 p.m., allowing her the opportunity to coach the Cougar women’s basketball team for one season in 1981-82. “It was certainly different from coaching high school, with so much higher expectations placed on the players,” she says before noting how much she has enjoyed watching the team following her time with them. “The sport has grown so much in the city. We’ve been fortunate.”

Smiling individuals in archival black and white image of women's basketball team.
Linda Vail Dodd BEd’74 seated bottom right in her #15 jersey on the Women's Cougars basketball team C 1970s. Photo: University of Regina Athletics

“Everyone started having children and the bench became the babysitters. If a baby needed the mom, then mom came off the floor, and someone else went on. My eldest daughter wasn’t even two months old when we went to our first basketball tournament.”

In 1983, Dodd applied for a position at the Regina Public School Board as a consultant for Outdoor Environmental Education, defining the rest of her career. She stayed in the position for 23 years until retiring in 2006.

“We spent all of our days outside playing in the bush with kids. It’s about science and nature, and the best job I could have ever had. It wasn’t what I planned, but such a great experience. I’m so glad that I took that route.”

Dodd also worked on programs such as Project Wet and Project Wild with the Canadian Wildlife Federation and Canadian Water Resources Agency, facilitating workshops for educators to learn about these resources and to apply them to their teaching situations.

Meanwhile, Dodd has stayed involved with basketball. After graduating from the Cougettes, she played in a senior league with her former university teammates. “Everyone started having children and the bench became the babysitters. If a baby needed the mom, then mom came off the floor, and someone else went on,” she says. “[In 1984,], my eldest daughter wasn’t even two months old when we went to our first basketball tournament.”

Dodd has two daughters, neither of whom played basketball, as they both became involved in rhythmic gymnastics. “They loved what they did, and I loved what I did. That was important.” Both of her daughters live in Regina today, as do Dodd’s four grandsons.

 Besides the years when her children were young, Dodd has remained an avid fan and season ticket holder for the Cougar basketball games. She enjoys attending alumni events to catch up with her teammates. Her connections from the U of R continue to weave themselves through all aspects of her life.

She credits her time playing basketball as the foundation for the rest of her life. “Sport is such a personal growth experience,” she says. “If I had moved to a different university, I might not even have tried out for the basketball team. For me, everything just fit together. I’m very grateful for all of the opportunities I had to play sports after high school, starting with the U of R Cougettes.”

Banner photo: Trevor Hopkin, U of R Photography

About the Author

Julie Woldu BAJ’07 is a sportswriter and fiction author based in Regina.

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Welcome to the Fall/Winter 2024 edition of Degrees magazine. With the University of Regina' 50th anniversary year now in full swing, it's been my pleasure to see our many communities join us to mark this special occasion.

In this issue of Degrees, you'll read about some of the incredible accomplishments of our alumni - community volunteers, intrepid journalists, ACAA recipients, and a newly minted Senator among them.

This issue of Degrees magazine is being published at a special time - just in advance of our 50th anniversary edition of Alumni Week, which I hope you'll be able to participate in. It's a great time to revisit your alma mater, with programming and events designed to engage the whole of our community - both on and off campus - so please check the University website for information about how you can take part in the fun.

Our alumni family is now 92,000 strong - making a difference to their communities here and around the world. It's my honour to be serving as your President at this very exciting time for the U of R - a time to reflect on our illustrious past, but also look ahead with optimism at what the next 50 years will bring to our university, and to the communities and province we so proudly serve.

I hope to see you at Alumni Week - and wish you all a very happy fall!

Yours sincerely,

Dr. Jeff Keshen
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Seven years in the NFL, a Grey Cup ring, and multiple Canadian Interuniversity Sport  awards are just a few unexpected turns on Brett Jones' road to medical school. Jones attributes his success to the University of Regina and the Regina Rams, with whom he played from 2009 to 2012. There, despite adversity, he learned resilience and how to rely on his support system to continue achieving his goals.

"The best thing that ever happened to me was getting a chance to play here," he says of his time as a student-athlete at the U of R. Growing up playing football in Weyburn, Jones hadn't thought about university athletics until Rams coaches, suggested he should consider trying out. By his second season, Jones realized he could have a future in football. "Once I started to believe that I could, things started to change," he said. "All the hard work I was putting in was really paying off."

As an offensive lineman, Jones frequently practiced against Rams defensive linemen and future NFLers Akiem Hicks and Stefan Charles. "If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be the player I was," Jones says. "They were just so good."

After Hicks was drafted, Jones had conversations with NFL teams but ultimately, they suggested he needed time in the CFL first. He signed a two-year contract with the Calgary Stampeders in 2013 based on one condition - whether or not his medical school application was successful.

Brett Jones BASci'19 in action. Photo: U of R Photography Brett Jones BASci'19 in action. Photo: U of R Photography

"The cool part about life is that you don't know what you're going to get. Just do your best every day, striving for excellence, and see what happens."

Jones has achieved multiple accolades as an athlete. He was a two-time Canada West All-Star and CIS First-Team All-Canadian; he was named the Canada West Outstanding Lineman and Canada West Outstanding Student-Athlete; and was the U of R Male Athlete of the Year. He was also an Academic All-Canadian each year - keeping the focus on academics first and foremost. "I needed to get really high grades in order to be competitive to get into medical school," he says. Partway through his undergraduate degree, Jones switched to the Faculty of Engineering. When his 2012 application to medical school was unsuccessful, his professional football career began, but he never gave up on a career in medicine. "Sometimes you think you want to do something, but then you get put on a path that's just different," he said. "Football really taught me more about myself, gave me confidence, and helped me in my ability to see what I can do. I owe the game a lot."

He played with the Stampeders for two seasons and won a Grey Cup in 2014, proving himself worthy of the NFL , where he signed with the New York Giants. After three seasons, he was traded to the Minnesota Vikings, where he would spend another three. Each season was never a given, as he had to continue to prove he was good enough to remain on the 53-man roster-even while overcoming two torn Medical Collateral Ligaments. "Things didn't always go to plan; however, my belief in my process and myself, as well as my support system, is what got me to where I am today," he says.

While taking Cree 100 at a class at the First Nations University at the U of R, Jones met his wife, Amy. She has supported him through the CFL, NFL, and in his academic journey. In his off-seasons, Jones returned to Regina to finish his university degree and continue to work toward medical school. "There were so many people who really assisted me in achieving my degree," he says, noting that the U of R always sees students as individuals and not just a student number. "Dr. David deMontigny, Dr. Peter Gu, and Dr. Gary Zhao are just a few of the people at the U of R who were willing to go above and beyond for me because they saw value in what I was trying to do. It was a long journey for me to get to where I am in medical school today, sharing my story of sport and education and how integral they both are to each other."

Jones completed his Bachelor of Science in 2019 and was playing his first season with the Denver Broncos, in 2021, when he tore his biceps and finished his NFL career. For the next two years, his applications to medical school placed him on the waitlist. His experiences in football, however, had taught him not to give up, but to reflect on how he could work harder and improve to find a way forward. In the fall of 2024, he was accepted into medical school at the University of Saskatchewan through the Regina Campus. "It came in a different manner than I could have predicted, but the cool part about life is that you don't know what you're going to get. Just do your best every day, striving for better or excellence, and then you just see what happens."

After leaving the NFL, he returned to the Rams in 2022 as a volunteer coach, which he continues despite his busy schedule. He feels it's important as volunteer coaches -Jerry Orban, Tom MacCallum, and Sheldon Neald - were integral in his own career. "I'm showing (athletes) what it takes if you aspire to play at the next level," he said. "The quote I use is that 'it takes what it takes'. So, you're going to have to push yourself further than you thought you ever could."

Top: Brett Jones BASc'19. Photo: Trevor Hopkin, U of R Photography

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