On the court, Joel Kleingeltink is a star athlete, helping Langley Christian’s volleyball and basketball teams both qualify for the provincial championships this past year, where they finished third and fourth, respectively.
But the Grade 12 student is more than just a star athlete as helping out around the school and being active in the community both remain important to Kleingeltink.
Kleingeltink coaches the younger age groups, officiates games, volunteers on his school’s Sports Leadership Team, where he helps organize extra-curricular activities for the athletic department. He is also part of the Langley Christian student council and teaches Sunday school at his church.
“I just try not to waste the time that I do have,” Kleingeltink said.
The key is to keep a schedule, and prioritize what needs to be done, he added.
As for coaching and teaching the younger kids, Kleingeltink just wants to set an example for others to follow.
For the 17-year-old, giving back to others is important and he cites a three-week trip he took last year to South Africa to visit Langley Christian’s sister school, as quite the experience.
“It was really eye-opening to see how they live their lives compared to how we do,” the 17-year-old explained.
“Simple things like tap water, which we take for granted, are huge for them.”
Kleingeltink has applied to the University of the Fraser Valley, where he hopes to also play on the volleyball team.
Kleingeltink, who has grown up on a dairy farm, plans on studying business with an eye on using his schooling to relate it to the agricultural industry.
He was one of the seven nominees for the Township of Langley’s Pete Swensson outstanding community youth award.
