Faculty of Kinesiology

Daneka Headley, (MASRS ’21)

Daneka Headley, the Faculty of Kinesiology’s Experiential Learning Coordinator, is not a fan of the spotlight. Instead, she is much more comfortable shining her light on others. This is perhaps not surprising if you understand that Daneka sees her purpose and her personal brand as ‘be of service to humanity’. I was interested in highlighting Daneka because she offers an example that a career in kinesiology, recreation and sport can be a journey that involves collecting diverse experiences that grow a range of skill sets, develop a broader awareness of one’s strengths, and unearth new interests. She also models how one’s education and experience can lead to something unexpected yet meaningful and rewarding.

Daneka grew up in Barbados. Her father was a professional cricketer and introduced her to the world of professional sport. As an only child, team sport (netball in primary school) was a space where Daneka connected with others, made friends and extended her ‘family’. In the adolescent years, recreation and sport served as outlets for stress and opportunities to discover, express, and develop her talents. These experiences with sport led Daneka to pursue Sport Management at community college. Her internship while in college was with the Barbados Olympic Association.

Since that initial work-integrated learning experience, Daneka has worked in various roles that have given her the opportunity to work with youth, vulnerable youth, communities and sport organizations. Working with the National Olympic Academy of Barbados, she had the opportunity to give tours at the Olympic Museum in Barbados and educate about the Olympic movement. This role helped her realize her interest in educating others. Wanting to do some different work and with a vision of what that work could be, she proposed the position of ‘Sport for Development Officer’ with the Barbados Olympic Association. Her initiating this is not surprising if you understand Daneka as someone who likes to take charge of and responsibility for her own growth, and tends to go after things she is interested in. Additionally, she served as a Young Change Marker for the Youth Olympic Games and the International Olympic Committee. In one of her Change Maker roles, she created and hosted a career fair that focused on the breadth of opportunities that are available within sport helping – something that, as she discusses it, you know she is still really proud. Daneka also enjoyed the advocacy and cultural exchange work with the Commonwealth Youth Sport for Development and Peace Network.

In the Fall term of 2017, she came to UNB as an undergraduate student on exchange from the University of West Indies (Barbados). Being a participant in research studies in the Human Performance Lab – seeing research in practice – stimulated her own interest in research. She returned to UNB in Fall 2019 to pursue a Master of Arts in Sport and Recreation Studies. She completed her master’s thesis on exploring social innovation in non-profit sport organizations in developing countries. Since graduation, she been involved in project management in her program coordinator/management roles with Coach NB and The Future of Hockey Lab.

Beyond her work experiences and sport, Dankea has looked to ‘be of service to humanity’ as a volunteer. Of particular note is that her strong interest in social inclusion has resulted in her looking to actively contribute to advancing social inclusion for those living in Fredericton as the co-chair of the City’s Social Inclusion Committee.

For Daneka, sport was the vehicle that lead her to her role as our Faculty’s Experiential Learning Coordinator. Daneka’s passion for experiential learning stems from the ‘gift’ of her college internship which she believes gave her a ‘head start in life’. About her career path, Daneka emphasizes, ‘There is no blueprint. There is no right or wrong way to do life. Sometimes it’s a direct route and sometimes it isn’t, but you get where you need to be.’ She emphasizes need as opposed to ‘plan’ or ‘want’. Her current position blends a number of her interests – being of service, connecting with students, mentoring and facilitating learning. “It is a role that is fullfilling and still connected to sport”.