• As a high-school student in Calgary, he competed in track, football, basketball, and tennis, standing out as a city all-star in basketball, and football in 1949.
• During his four seasons playing Golden Bears basketball (1950-51 to 1953?54), the team won four consecutive Western Canadian Intercollegiate Championships, played in the Canadian Interuniversity finals (1952), and won the Canadian Senior Men's Championship (1953).
• Twice received of the Wilson Challenge Trophy - presented to the University's most outstanding male athlete (1951-52 and 1953-54).
• Coached the Panda Basketball teams in 1954-55 and 1955-56, guiding them to successive Western Canadian Intercollegiate Championships.
• Named co-captain of Canada's basketball team at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia.
• In 1955 and 1956, coached the Victoria High School football and basketball teams to Edmonton city championships; in the latter year, both teams were also provincial champions.

Don Macintosh was born in Calgary, Alberta in 1931. As a student at Crescent Heights High School in Calgary, Don competed in track, football, and basketball, and was one of the province's best junior tennis players. In 1949 he was voted the Outstanding Calgary High School Male Athlete. That same year he was the league high scorer and city all-star in both basketball and football.

In 1950 he enrolled at the University of Alberta to major in Physical Education. During his four years with the Golden Bear basketball team, he helped the team to four consecutive Western Canadian Intercollegiate Championships, the Canadian Interuniversity finals in 1952 and the Canadian Senior Men's Championship in 1953. In 1952 and again in 1954 he was the winner of the Wilson Challenge Trophy awarded to the Outstanding Male Athlete at the University of Alberta.

As coach of the Panda basketball team in 1954 and 1955, he guided them to successive Western Intercollegiate University championships.
In 1955 and 1956, Don coached the Victoria High School football and basketball teams to Edmonton city championships. In 1956 both the football and basketball teams went on to provincial championships and the same year, Don was named co-captain of the Canadian National basketball team competing at the Olympics in Melbourne, Australia.

In 1960, Don received his Master's degree in Science from the University of Washington. A Doctorate from the University of Oregon followed in 1964. In 1965, he accepted an appointment as Director of the School of Physical and Health Education at Queen's University. His leadership placed Queen's in the forefront of Canadian schools of physical education, and his wide influence has been an important factor in the development of the profession in Canada.