Outlook High School teacher, Lloyd Tulp, has selflessly lent his time to coaching multiple sports over the past 13 years and was recently named Male Coach of the Year by the West Central Athletics Association.

Tulp has been coaching student-athletes in numerous sports including football, track and field, wrestling, golf, volleyball and basketball, as well as assisting with strength and conditioning programs. In addition to his local coaching career, Tulp continues to be sought out by the Calgary Colts with the Canadian Junior Football League, for his knowledge and expertise.

Although he is currently at Outlook High School (OHS), his west central coaching career started many years previous with the football program in Delisle. After making the decision to obtain his teaching degree at the age of 35, Tulp combined his two passions and continued to coach in Beechy, Kyle and Loreburn before accepting the wrestling coach position at OHS.

“I was teaching in Loreburn and OHS needed a new wrestling coach and I wrestled for nine years out of high school and I am also a national wrestling official, so they asked if I would take over their wrestling program, which made for a busy schedule but I was happy to do it”.

Tulp who now teaches and coaches at OHS, said he will always feel like a coach first and explained how sports can give students a valued opportunity in life.

“It allows students to do something more than academics, it gives them opportunities to learn more about themselves and try something new and get themselves out of their comfort zone – which allows them to succeed and fail at the same time – because even if you fail, you tried, and there’s a success right there”.

He shared that it is through coaching that he tries to give back what he has gained from playing sports throughout his own life, outlining each sport gave him something essential that has made him the person he is today.

Looking forward to the upcoming year, Tulp shared OHS has revitalized the football team which was missing in action from last season, “We have a new look and a new attitude and are looking forward to cementing our place within the football community”.

In addition to the football program, he said he is excited to see an interest in wrestling from students within the school stating it is his favourite sport to coach as he believes it is the most challenging sport in the world.

In regards to the Male Coach of the Year award, Tulp said that receiving an award that is determined by his peers, allows him to know that he is doing something right and adding value to the sports programs he is and has been apart of.