Burlington basketball players rally for coach after he suffers a brain injury

A high school basketball team in a small town on Newfoundland's Baie Verte Peninsula has come together to support a well-known community volunteer who hit his head on the ice and suffered a brain injury.

Burlington's Jason Newbury was skating with his family on Jan. 19 when he fell and hit his head. He is currently receiving treatment at the Health Sciences Centre in St. John's.

"We know that, you know, he's recovering and we know that he's doing great so far. But it's going to be a long road," said Burlington Mayor Rudy Norman.

"We just wanted to, as a community, get together and rally around him and his family, his wife and his three girls. And really just show our love and support for someone who has given back so much to the community."

Newbury is the volunteer coach of the high school basketball team, the Wildcats, at M.S.B. Regional Academy in Middle Arm, something he has been doing for years.

"Justin's there to get you better and make you, like, a good feller. Like, off the court too," said student Carter Goudie. "He focuses … on sportsmanship and being nice to the refs and being nice to other people. He's a really good coach."

Carter, his brother Aiden and their basketball teammates decided it would be nice to raise some money for Newbury while he's in the hospital. They set up a mock toll booth at the busiest intersection in Burlington and raised $800 in just two hours. 

"Justin always supported us along the way in everything we've done. We decided to turn it back because [of] how good a coach he is," said Goudie.

Norman says the fundraiser shows what Newbury has accomplished with his students, on and off the court.

"The fact they are rallying together and they are giving back in this way really says a lot to