Derek Pearson wins Sportsperson of the Year
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- Published on Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Photo by Eoin Devereux. (L to R) Derek Pearson of Boxe Neepawa receives the Sportsperson of the Year award from Elwood Cameron.
By Eoin Devereux
Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press
A local coach recently received some much deserved recognition, as Derek Pearson of Boxe Neepawa has been named the 2015 Sportsperson of the Year. Pearson, who has owned and operated the community boxing club since early 2014, received the honour on Saturday, Oct. 24, during the seventh annual Neepawa Sports Dinner.
Pearson said that being singled out in this manner caught him completely off guard. He added that he was humbled by the recognition.
“It really was [a surprise to me]. In the world that I come from, boxing coaches and MMA coaches often don’t get the same recognition as a football or hockey coach would. A lot of what we do as coaches is behind closed doors and not in the spotlight. So, this did catch me off guard,” said Pearson. “To be even nominated was a huge honour. I know there are many great coaches and volunteers in Neepawa, so I’m quite humbled and honoured by this award,” said Pearson.
Pearson noted that the community at large has been very supportive of the club, as the misconceptions of mixed martial arts and boxing continue to be broken down.
“I’m overwhelmed by the support. Combat sports is often a misunderstood sport. Some people look at it as barbaric, but we take a very disciplined approach to it. It’s very nice to see people recognize [MMA and boxing] for what it is, it’s a competitive sport, just like hockey or anything else that requires a very specific type of training. It’s not just a bunch of people beating on each other. So to see the community recognize that has been tremendous,” stressed Pearson.
Pearson concluded by acknowledging that it’s very gratifying to him to be able to teach on such a high level in his own community.
“Throughout the last 15 years of my life, I’ve had to leave Neepawa to pursue those goals and I never would have expected that ultimately, it would bring me back to Neepawa. To have the support of Boxing Manitoba, Wrestling Manitoba and the Roufusport Kickboxing Association and of course the people of Neepawa, has been just icing on the cake.”
