Inducted 2015

Gambo volleyball athlete and leader Deon Goulding saw much success on and off the court throughout his extensive athletic career. In 1987-88 Goulding played on the Newfoundland and Labrador Canada Games Team that competed at the National Team Challenge Cup and the 1989 Canada Summer Games.  In 1989-90 his university career started with the Dalhousie Tigers where he won two Atlantic University Sport (AUS) titles and participated in two Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Championships.  During this time he was invited to the Team Canada National B Tryouts.

From 1992 – 1996 he was a member of the Memorial University Seahawks, where in one injury year he was a member of the coaching staff.  Throughout his university career, Goulding was named Dalhousie’s Rookie of the Year, he was a two time MUN MVP, AUS Rookie of the Year, AUS first team All Star, two Time AUS MVP, three time CIS second team All Canadian and CIS Academic All Canadian . He was inducted into Memorial University’s Athletic Honor Society and received MUN Athletics Graham Snow Award in 1996.

He was runner-up in 1994 and a nominee in 1996 for the Sport NL Senior Male Athlete of the Year.  That same year, Goulding became a member of the Team Canada National B Team and in the following year he played 25 international matches with the Team Canada National A Team. Additionally, he played in the 1995 Pan-American Games in Argentina with Team Canada.

Due to an elite career ending injury he retired from the Team Canada Program in 1995.  In 2008, Goulding played an exhibition series against the Memorial Seahawks with Team Canada’s Masters Team and in 2012 he played with and helped Team FOG at the 2012 Volleyball Canada Senior National Volleyball Championships claim a bronze medal.

He is a member of FOG Canada Masters team who competes in the USA Volleyball Senior Nationals 40-45 category.   On the Provincial Senior ‘A’ Men’s scene, he has competed in 20 Senior Championships with 10 titles and numerous MVP and All-Star selections to his credit.  He was named NLVA Senior Player of the Year numerous times.  Giving back to the sport, Goulding has conducted youth skills camps in the USA, Argentina, Germany, Nova Scotia, Alberta, and Newfoundland/Labrador.  He also organized a sport exchange for a Gander Collegiate High School Volleyball Team to train and competed against a Cuban volleyball team.  He coached Youth teams who claimed NLVA Provincial Championships at all age categories from 14U to 18U and numerous SSNL Team Sportsmanship Awards.  In addition, he was head coach of Team Newfoundland and Labrador at the 2005 Canada Summer Games, coached at the 1998 Volleyball Canada National Juvenile Championships and provincially coached teams at Eastern Canadian Elite tournaments over the years.  Goulding also coached and mentored Central Representatives at the Newfoundland and Labrador Winter Games in 2010 and 2014 and was the Volleyball Convener at the 2002 Games.  He coached and mentored current Team Canada Members and current and past Professional Volleyball Players.  Deon Goulding contributed to the Newfoundland and Labrador Volleyball Association’s Executive for numerous years since 2001 and has been instrumental in the growth and success of the sport’s Elite Development Committee and programming.  He was inducted to the NLVA Hall of Fame in 2012.