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Moresports Personality Profiles

James Naknakin
By Kimberly Daum

James Naknakin

James Naknakin: Tackling a Bad Rap with His Good Rep

At 15 years James Naknakin is a veteran community athlete and newly minted YELL basketball and floor hockey coach for MoreSports Inner City. He says the Eastside has had a bad rep which is really a bad rap. And, he's not there for that insult.

When he was younger, before MoreSports existed, people said Eastside teams "were bad guys." That perception still exists, he says, but it's diminishing. James attributes that to the strength of his community and the families like his within it, and to Ray-Cam Community Centre, MoreSports and YELL, and the examples they provide.

It makes you want to do better when people "take an interest in you," he says, "and I have a lot of people to look up to."

James calls his mother Kathleen and father Reg hard workers "who have always been there to watch me practice and play." That's not easy when you don't have a car and do have four sons.

"When my brothers and I play sports it helps to have someone to play for," he says. "Sometimes school games were in Coquitlam or Cloverdale, but they still managed to get out there for us. They are involved in my life."

Older brothers Albert, 27, and Louie, 25, are James' "idols" who taught him "what's right and what's wrong." Younger brother Joseph, 13, taught him that "everyone is the same and not to judge anyone." His brothers are his best friends.

Staying out of trouble in the Inner City isn't always easy, even when you have a close family. James says that's because the Eastside doesn't always have "a system there for us and you can't rely on other people to make one for you."

"If we want to be a team, play for fun, or start a league, we have to get together and do it for ourselves."

So he's doing his part, through community sports, to help improve his young neighbours' lives. He wants to show that "Eastside kids aren't bad; I make sure the kids I coach aren't matching that bad rep."

"I had a short fuse as I grew up," James says, "I'd blow up. I needed to vent my frustrations. Soccer wasn't physical enough for me. I tried rugby. I watched football with my dad. Football: that's my real passion." His younger brother taught him how to play it.

James' bantam Trojan football team missed the playoffs by one game but improved its record from 1-and-9 last year to 4-5-and-1 this year. He was thrilled to be a part of that success. All of this after he "blew a knee," had eight months of anterior cruciate ligament treatment, and worked through "hardcore" rehab.

"I even impressed myself by coming back strong," he says. "My motivation was to inspire the team. I like to bring people up when they're feeling down."

Clearly, Pedro Reis recognized that intent in James. "Pedro's a big part of why I'm coaching. He was working for MoreSports (as an Inner City Hub Developer). He was my model. He thought that I could do it and asked if I wanted to do the (National Coaching Certificate) training. He got me interested."

The training gave him experience, taught him leadership skills and games to play with kids. It taught him how difficult it is to be a good coach.

"It's hard because a lot is expected of you, but it's been my biggest win to coach kids, give back to the community, and to be part of something big," says James.

When he isn't coaching MoreSports teams you can find James scouting out a field and organizing pick-up soccer games, which is tough since there isn't much Eastside green space. Still, he's successful.

"About 20 to 30 kids come out on a sunny day, even on rainy days I've had about 10 or 15 kids, kids from eight to 16-years-old, all playing together, nobody getting hurt."

Family. Team. Community. Add it all up and you have what James values most.

He was five-years-old when he started going to Ray-Cam, was part of its latchkey, after-school program, and played on the Fastbreak basketball team when MoreSports began in 1999. His mom worked there and still does; she thought the community centre would be a healthy environment for him.

In the past three years James has lost both of his grandmothers.

"I was really close to both of them. They were really good friends that I could talk to. Seeing them always made me happy. They weren't outdated or expired. They were really funny and there for me."

"Sports connected me to my family more," he says. "Sports can really bond a family and connect them to their community."

"As I was growing up I'd say I wanted to be a leader. My little brother is a big part of the reason why I coach," he says. "I want him to become a leader too. That's the rep I want for my brother and the other kids in my community."

We hear you James and, like you, we can all be there for that.

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