New Assistant Executive Director for ASAA

The ASAA is pleased to announce that Brad Van Raalte will be joining the staff of the ASAA at the end of the current school year as its new Assistant Executive Director.

Brad was born and raised in the Edmonton area. He has always loved playing sports and appreciated the opportunity that school sport provided him at Parkland Immanuel Christian School (PICS) which he attended as a student. At PICS, Brad played high school basketball, volleyball and
was the first to represent his school in pole vault.

While studying at the University of Alberta for an Education degree, Brad also coached senior boys basketball at PICS. Following University, Brad moved to Perth, Australia for his first teaching position where he spent three years before coming back to Alberta in 2011. Back in Canada, Brad took up a teaching position at PICS, and soon became the school Athletic Director and senior girls basketball coach, attending many ASAA provincials and winning both the 1A Girls ASAA championship and the most sportsmanlike team in 2017 and winning the championship again in 2022 Brad also coached Track and Field at PICS. Brad has been one of the ASAA Basketball rankers for 1A girls and has worked with Edmonton Metro in bringing forward and presenting proposed policy changes at the 1A Basketball and volleyball level that were adopted by the ASAA Board of Governors.

Brad enrolled in the Masters program at Grace College that has been facilitated by the CIAAA, and completed his MSc 2018. Brad said “I am passionate about advocating for athletic directors, coaches and student-athletes. I am blessed to have this opportunity to work for the ASAA and look forward to working with the Executive, John and the rest of the staff at the ASAA office.”

From ASAA Executive Director John Paton: “I am excited to have Brad join the ASAA staff, especially as we embark on implementing the Strategic Plan of the ASAA that was approved by the Board in December 2021. Brad’s tenure at PICS and the respect of his peers in Metro Edmonton Athletics and across the province has been well earned. I trust the ethics, integrity and respect that Brad brings to the position will allow the ASAA’s goal of educational athletics to continue being a top priority for the Association and I look forward to working with him.”

ASAA President George Hoyt added “the last 2 years have had many ups and downs for all of ASAA. In addition to having championships back, it is great to have the office back to full strength again. Thank you to John for all he did during this time to keep the ASAA moving on day-today bases. I am very confident Brad is going to make an immediate impact on the ASAA. He is 100% invested in educational athletics. Welcome to the team, Brad!”