Great things are happening at John Barsby Secondary School. The Chef's Program is second to none, the school-wide literacy program is beginning to pay huge dividends and the Barsby Bulldogs football program is nothing short of amazing.

Last week I visited Coach Stevenson in the "Dawg House". He started the football program in 1996 and won a provincial championship just four years later.

He was quick to point out that it takes a team to build this kind of success and that he is just part of that team, a team that in turn is just part of the entire school team of administrators, teachers, other staff and students.

Let there be no doubt, the Barsby Bulldogs program is about winning football games, winning in a sportsman-like manner through vastly superior mental conditioning, physical conditioning and more.

"We're not saints," Stevenson smiled, "but I've often thought I'd like to have my grandmother and parents come out to watch a practice without me knowing it and not feel offended by anything that goes on.

"Our goal is to take the raw material that exists within each one of us," Stevenson continued, and get our players to apply it and they don't quit doing that when they walk off the football field. They'll do it in the classroom and they'll do it in their families, their church and their communities ... the right thing feels good."

Speaking about the community, the players have "adopted" Haven House as their Christmas charity and each year do a food and clothing drive for them on top of all of their own extensive fundraising projects required to purchase equipment and cover other expenses.

By the way the players fundraising efforts paid for eighty percent of the school's weight room equipment, which is among the best in BC at any level. They have chosen to spend their money on equipment rather than team travel so that those coming behind can also benefit from their efforts.

Over the past few years graduates of Coach Stevenson's program have spread his philosophy of sport and life into the community by creating the Mighty Mite Flag Football and Mighty Dog Tackle Football programs for younger kids. You may remember former Neighbourhood Hero, Larry Cooper who coordinates these programs.

Then there are former Barsby players, three of whom are currently at Queens University: Frank Secretain, an Academic All Canadian three years in a row who has just been accepted into a Ph.D. Program in engineering, Sean O'Donnell also an Academic All Canadian and Eric Eisner who made the team and the Dean's List in his first year. Queens has also shown a special interest in at least two other Barsby players from this year's team.

And there's more, Doug Campbell is currently playing at SFU, Butte Junior College in California has recruited Phil Reeds and several others are playing at CJEPs in Quebec.

But universities and colleges aren't where the successes end Stevenson stressed. His players are taking their winning attitudes into a variety of careers as well as other post secondary institutions and programs.

Just hours before I sent this column to be published, I bumped into a friend of mine and learned that his son plays first-string junior football for Coach Stevenson.

Two or three times during our conversation he had to stop, turn his back and get his emotions under control as he talked about how much Coach Stevenson has done for his son.

In short, he says thanks to the football program, his son's marks and general attitude have improved dramatically and he has transformed himself from a seriously struggling student into a student who is approaching the honour role, all this while overcoming a learning disability.

In our entire conversation my friend didn't once mention football, the mark I would suggest of an extraordinarily successful high school football coach.