Recently turned 20, Dan Ball is celebrating graduating from EIT with a Bachelor of Recreation and Sport while classmates from school are just launching into their third year of tertiary study.

Dan has several more reasons for pushing out the boat. His younger brother is in remission after battling cancer and he’ll be joining his parents to see Dan – one of two valedictorians at the Eastern Institute of Technology’s graduation ceremony on March 25 – deliver a speech to fellow graduates, families and friends assembled at Napier’s Municipal Theatre.

All this is some achievement for a young man who admits to going to school purely to play football.

Dan, who plays right-side midfield, has been part of the Hawke’s Bay United Squad for the past four years.

At the end of Year 12, he was considering transferring schools to advance his football career, but was told by his father – a maths teacher at Boys’ High – that he could only do so if he was prepared to put effort into his schoolwork.

The upshot of the family round table was a joint decision for him to enrol at EIT.

“I knew I wanted to do something in sports,” Dan says. “My subjects in sixth form were PE, Institute of Sport, maths and English (which were compulsory), PE studies and two EIT diploma papers through the STAR course.

“I enjoyed the EIT papers and found my EIT lecturers really good. I was awarded an Elite Sportsperson Scholarship as well and that helped financially.”

Dan was also keen to live locally so he could keep playing for Hawke’s Bay United.

His degree study wasn’t a cinch, however. Starting well, he lost motivation in his second year.

“I didn’t enjoy the management content of my studies as much as the practical papers. The lecturers noticed my lack of motivation and were really supportive and understanding of my personal problems.

“My parents also helped, pushing me to continue. I was going to cross credit to a diploma and head off but they kept me motivated. I realised I was at EIT for a reason and that there was only one more year to finish my degree.

“My family have been through a lot. Now my brother is in remission, and he started his Bachelor of Business Studies at EIT this year. He’s doing the whole local thing as well.”

Dan’s now studying for his postgraduate diploma in secondary teaching at Palmerston North.

The plan after completing that is to teach for a couple of years, get his registration, and travel overseas – playing football if he can.

“I enjoy football as a hobby but I don’t think it’s going to be my profession. I want to teach sport though, to give something back. Sport has got me where I am now and I see it as rounding the circle.”

Dan is very thankful of his parents’ support in gaining his degree.
“I know I wouldn’t be where I am now if it wasn’t for them.”