Canadian libero Dan Lewis has announced his retirement from volleyball after more than 15 years on the Canadian National Team.
Lewis wasn’t on Canada’s team for the Summer Olympic Games, having been beat out by Cameron Blair for the starting libero spot, but having turned 41 earlier this year was the oldest player in Canada’s National Team system.
Lewis has a pair of international medals, earning bronzes with Team Canada at the 2015 Pan American Games and at the 2001 NORCECA Championships. He also played at the 1999 Pan American Games on the beach.
“If you went around the world and asked all the teammates he’s ever had who their most memorable teammate was, Dan would land at the top of a lot of those lists,” said Team Canada’s Fred Winters. “He is the life of the party, the centre of attention, and a guy you hate to play against, but love to play with. Basically, he’s a player you’d want in the trenches with you because when it was time to go to war you knew you were going to get his best effort. I love Dan Lewis and he is one of the greatest persons I’ve had the privilege of knowing.”
Lewis won a CIS (now USports) title in 1996 and was named the national collegiate MVP with the University of Manitoba before going on to play in France, Poland, and Slovenia. That includes most recently a second stint in Poland’s PlusLiga with BBTS Bielsko-Biała. Professionally, he won 2 Polish and 4 Slovenian Championships.
“On a more personal level, a very memorable chat prior to those big wins was a random meeting I had with Glenn (Hoag) at World League around 2008,” remembers Lewis. “After many defeats, I was facing despair thinking about quitting and he opened up about part of his ‘Why?’…. Why and how he pushes on against adversity, against all the odds. It was his patriotism, courage and love of his people that helped me connect again, and understand that it wasn’t about me, but about us; about the team, the staff, all the people of Canada, all the players before and all that will come after. His revelation helped me understand that my goal was bigger than just about the individual, and it gave me the strength to continue on, to dig deeper, look past the current outcomes and connect to a much greater source of will to continue on.”
While Lewis wasn’t on the 2016 Olympic team, he joined the squad as a member of the staff. He will now continue working with the National Team in a role that will allow him to come back home to Canada. He will run the men’s National Excellence Program in Gatineau, Quebec and continue assisting with the Men’s National Team.
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