Donald MacVicar

- 2026 -

Athlete - Coach - Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer, and Track

Donald MacVicar – Born into a very sports minded family in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia on June 8th, 1936, to Charles and Edith MacVicar. He and two of his brothers played varsity rugby and hockey for Acadia. Don grew up playing numerous sports in Glace Bay and was athlete of the year for Morrison High School in both his grade 11 and 12 years.

He attended Acadia University (class of 1957) and played varsity rugby, hockey, and captained Acadia’s first football team in his final year. When universities switched their major fall sport from rugby to football; high schools switched from rugby as the fall sport, to soccer. Don began coaching soccer as soon as he began teaching.

Don became a physical education teacher and taught/coached for 35 years. He began his career in New Waterford in 1957, where he coached the girls’ basketball team to a Provincial Championship. In 1960 he moved to Bedford with the opening of Sidney Stephen High School, which served all high school students from Upper, Middle, Lower Sackville, Bedford, Oakfield, and Waverly. He coached basketball, volleyball, soccer, and track. He then had a two-year stint at Dartmouth High School before marrying Ann Mosher in 1963 and returning to teach/coach at Sidney Stephen High School. His team’s soccer success began at Sidney Stephens and continued at Sackville High School when all students and teachers moved to the new larger school in Sackville – with the largest gym east of Montreal.

Don enjoyed teaching/coaching with an emphasis always on fair play and respect for the student-athletes. The student athletes, he feels, repaid him with appreciation and cooperation. He feels privileged to have coached the high school male student athletes from Sackville in soccer, basketball, and track for 16 years. The school came close to winning the provincial championship in basketball in the early 70’s and the track team won the provincials in the late 60’s. Success to a degree stood out in all 3 sports, but one stood out. The soccer teams! Between 1965 and 1978 his boys’ soccer teams won 7 Provincial High School Championships!

Don wants it known that after he and half the student body transferred to C.P. Allen High School in 1978, the Sackville High boys team won 2 more championships in soccer the next 3 years. He was happy for them.

Don thanks all his former student athletes – win or lose they always made him proud. They were a joy to coach. Thanks for the memories.