Among the people who know him best, Doug Pauls’ vocation is something of an open-ended question.
He runs a dentistry clinic with his brother in Kerrisdale, but his passion is football. Even the NFL has noticed.
Last week, Pauls, 51, was among 10 finalists nominated as the 2013 NFL Youth Coach of the Year. The winner will be announced Thursday.
Pauls said the nomination came completely out of the blue. “It’s kind of overwhelming because there are a lot of amazing coaches in the province. It’s something that I enjoy doing,” said Pauls, who called the Courier Tuesday between patients.
“I hope I’m a worthwhile candidate to be considered for this award this because I know there is some award money that flows back to Football B.C.”
Pauls has coached peewee, junior bantam and flag football with the Westside Warriors and nearly a decade ago started volunteering for his son’s program at Vancouver College, which has the most alumni on post-secondary teams of any high school in Canada. A graduate of the legendary Richmond Colts high school program, he competed at Simon Fraser University and is now an alumni booster.
He also co-ordinates the Vancouver Mainland Football League, which hosts numerous teams and cheer squads for athletes aged eight to 18. Under his guidance, the flag football leagues have swelled to over 1,000 male and female athletes.
The league has grown because coaches emphasize having fun, building skills and encouraging both boys and girls to play. “We encourage coaches to ensure that every single player touches the ball so no matter who you are, you get a touch and can tell a story to grandma and grandpa, mom and dad about your game afterwards.”
For the first time this summer, B.C. sent a provincial girls team to the U18 national flag football championships in Regina.
“The nomination is well-deserved and I know Doug will inspire others to do more,” said Football B.C. technical director Dino Geremia, who was involved in nominating Pauls. “People like Doug are the people we need to recognize in the community.”
Pauls is wise to the reverential ribbing he endures — the inside joke that recognizes him as a full-time football coach and “part-time dentist.”
On an average week during the high school football season, including preparation, video analysis, training and then a 14-hour game day, he turns his mind to the sport for up to 25 hours a week.
“Doug is a dentist by trade, but as some in his family have said, dentistry is his hobby, football is his job,” said Vancouver College head coach Todd Bernett, who elevated Pauls to the varsity team’s defensive coordinator in 2010. “Any team he has been involved with gets excellent focus, energy and effort from him daily.”
Pauls volunteered with his son’s Grade 8 team and then became the only father to coach at the varsity level in Bernett’s 15-year tenure.
“As I watched him coach with that team that fall, I knew we had something special,” said the head coach.
Pauls was the linebacker coach for five seasons and three years ago also took on the role of defensive coordinator.
“Doug does not help us win by making game-altering decisions, but rather, by his preparation during the week. He devotes dozens of hours on film study on each opponent, transfers that knowledge to our players in simple messages that lead to clarity in the game plan and trusts his gut on game day when calling a defence,” said Bernett.
Former players remember Pauls for elevating their game. A quarterback may not work directly with the defensive coordinator, but alum Hunter Robinson, who now plays for the Ottawa Gee Gees, credits his former coach for what he learned “from the other side of the ball.”
“Coach Pauls helped me improve [by] staying competitive at practice,” he wrote in an email to the Courier. “This didn't necessarily come from him personally, but as the defensive coordinator, he made sure that everyone on defence was prepared and ready for every practice and game. This translated to us on offence as it pushed us as a unit and made us work harder everyday.”
The nominees for the NFL coaching award were drawn from community and high school programs across Canada and the winner will receive $5,000 in new football gear and the same amount from BlackRock Canada for athletes in need. The nominees were selected in partnership with Football B.C. and were not chosen for their win/loss record but for their dedication to the development of young players on and off the field.
In the 14 years since the award launched, no coach from B.C. has won. Farhan Lalji, a TSN sportscaster and New Westminster Hyacks head coach, was previously nominated.
Pauls made the top-10 because of his positive influence in numerous leagues and talent in making opportunities for more kids.
“Flag football’s tremendous growth in the province of British Columbia over the past several years can be directly attributed to the tireless efforts of Doug Pauls,” affirms the nomination.
“The big area that Doug as impacted in growth is our flag football, which has just blown up it he past three year,” said Geremia. “It’s something everyone takes pride in. Doug is a positive representative of everything we do.”
The winner will be announced Thursday.
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