When she first got pregnant, Dani Sinclair thought it would spell the end of her basketball coaching career.

It turns out, balancing motherhood is only one of the many pieces thatB次元官网网址檚 had to fall into place for the head coach of the Vikes womenB次元官网网址檚 basketball teams. Having grown up in an era where there were B次元官网网址榝ew examples of coachesB次元官网网址� who were moms, Sinclair never expected the type of support she got. And itB次元官网网址檚 gone a long way.

B次元官网网址淭his is the only job I ever wanted,B次元官网网址� Sinclair said, adding there were a lot of things that had to happen.

First though, about those Canada West playoffs in 2016 and SinclairB次元官网网址檚 now legendary story about birthing on Friday morning, and then coaching on the sidelines that night.

Sinclair earned a lot of attention, including from national media, when in March 2016 she gave birth to her third son during the Canada West playoffs in Edmonton. For starters, she was hesitant about even going. The baby was B次元官网网址榬eady,B次元官网网址� in terms of gestation, though she wasnB次元官网网址檛 due yet.

B次元官网网址淚 didnB次元官网网址檛 even think the WestJet staff would let me on the plane,B次元官网网址� she remembers.

Sinclair, though, had the support and accompaniment of her husband Matt.

On the Thursday night in Edmonton Sinclair went into labour, and early Friday morning Benjamin (now two) was born. By noon, with medical clearance and a lifeB次元官网网址檚 worth of adrenaline, Sinclair was discharged from hospital. With Matt there to take care of baby, Sinclair was back on the sidelines that night.

The fact that Sinclair showed up to a game about 12 hours after giving birth isnB次元官网网址檛 something everyone can do, and is something people need to understand, she said.

B次元官网网址淎fterwards I thought about what kind of example that sets for the [players],B次元官网网址� Sinclair said. B次元官网网址淣o one expected me to be there. My boss was surprised, everyone was surprised and totally supportive.B次元官网网址�

Despite being highly thought of among her UVic superiors and highly successful in her first four years as head coach, Sinclair couldnB次元官网网址檛 escape the thought that someone might question her priorities if she missed a game to be with her children.

B次元官网网址淚 think, in the back of my mind, I was still a young coach, I didnB次元官网网址檛 want there to be any reason I shouldnB次元官网网址檛 have this job.B次元官网网址�

ItB次元官网网址檚 laughable, of course, that anyone could critique SinclairB次元官网网址檚 resume and priorities.

B次元官网网址淲ith [Matt] there I figured IB次元官网网址檒l just sit on the bench, I didnB次元官网网址檛 think IB次元官网网址檇 coach,B次元官网网址� she said.

Sinclair, n茅e Everitt, came to UVic as a U Sports (CIS) all-star from the McMaster Marauders to study teaching. As a teenager in Ontario she had idolized the Vikes and viewed Kathy Shields as the pinnacle of coaching in Canada.

In her second season with UVic she captained the Vikes to their last title, the 2003 national championship (against her former team, the Marauders). When SinclairB次元官网网址檚 player eligibility ran out she volunteered as an assistant coach with the Vikes, serving in that role from 2006 to 2009 and then again in 2010-11. There was a year in the middle where Sinclair followed her husband, Matt, a navy clearance diver, to a posting out of Halifax.

She took over the team in April 2012 and has been to the Canada West quarterfinals four times, the Canada West Final Four and was a big part of UVicB次元官网网址檚 bid to host the U Sports womenB次元官网网址檚 national championship last year.

Sinclair also coaches for Canada Basketball, and was an assistant for the U16 Canadian womenB次元官网网址檚 team that won gold at the FIBA Americas tournament in 2015 and in 2011 with CanadaB次元官网网址檚 senior basketball team at the Pan American Games (both were in Mexico).

When she came back to the Vikes in 2011, with her son James still a newborn, then coach Brian Cheng was the first to say B次元官网网址淏ring your baby to the court,B次元官网网址� Sinclair said.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 about the support system, my mom and my husband have been key to it all.B次元官网网址�