It's a reality that has been accepted among talented local youth athletes: To excel in your chosen sport, the best path is often to leave Squamish.
More and more, specialized sport training academies located in the Lower Mainland and elsewhere are attracting top athletes from Squamish.
But there's a movement afoot to keep local young athletes in town.
A survey recently launched by Squamish resident Terra Gaddes is asking residents whether they would support athletic or artistic academies coming to local schools.
Gaddes said she became interested in the topic after hearing from local families that they were considering sending their children to schools like Sentinel Secondary in West Vancouver.
I decided that I wanted to find out why people were choosing to leave because I want my kids to go to the schools in Squamish. I don't want them to leave and I don't want their friends leaving, said the mother of two elementary-aged children. How are we going to attract people to Squamish when people are going somewhere else for education?
Gaddes spoke with school district officials earlier this year and had a meeting with the District of Squamish on Tuesday (Oct. 8). After that meeting, she put together a survey and 179 people have replied in just over two weeks. She said she will reveal the results from the survey at a later date but said her idea is just to make people aware of the trend.
Squamish is a different town than we used to be we're not as isolated, she said. We have easier access to the city now and it's easier for people to look at other options, so I think we need to make it so these options are here. Something's not right with what we're offering in the public system and I hope to start a conversation and maybe they'll start considering some other ideas.
Tim Knight from the Squamish Minor Hockey Association (SMHA) discovered the survey and jumped on board to get the ball rolling.
Knight said having a hockey academy at Howe Sound Secondary School (HSSS) was one of his original goals after moving to town a few years ago. In the summer of 2011, Knight had meetings with HSSS athletic director Joel Harwood and HSSS principal Christine Perkins, but the idea eventually died.
In the Lower Mainland these academies are growing, Knight said. The ice sits empty during the day and the best way to build skill development would be to use that empty ice when it's not being used because, as we all know, we only have one rink in Squamish.
Knight became familiar with hockey academies when coaching with the Ridge Meadows Hockey Association and ended up meeting with the Burnaby North Hockey Academy director of hockey operations to discuss an academy's potential in Squamish that same summer.
But it was determined that the numbers just weren't high enough in 2011 for HSSS to commit to an academy. Harwood didn't reply to an email request for more information on sports academies from The Chief.
But that was two years ago, and Knight said the SMHA is growing. He also said there's a big appetite for a sports academy to keep young athletes in town and the survey is proof of that.
Within 24 hours of having the survey filled out, I was told we had 90 respondents, he said. And this isn't just about hockey. There are also opportunities for soccer and football or other sports. I'd love my son to not only have the chance to have hockey but take on something else if he wants to.
Squamish Youth Soccer Association (SYSA) travel-team coaches recently identified keeping talented young players in Squamish as one of the biggest challenges they face. During the past year virtually every team had lost two or more players to Metro Vancouver teams, they told club officials at a meeting in late August. Some of those youngsters had also left the local school system to attend Sentinel or other sports academies.
Other sports that could be potentially offered in an academy setting are mountain biking or skiing. Even fine arts programs like dance or music could be offered in an academy setting.
Knight said a hockey academy would keep local talent at home and also make the SMHA that much stronger.
This would absolutely be a complement to the SMHA, he said. It would strengthen our members, create enthusiasm and grow our membership. With one rink, the only way to develop skill in our town is to use the ice as much as possible. By using Brennan Park when it's being underutilized, we could accomplish that.
He said the SMHA's model for a hockey academy would be a skills-based one, where players train in the afternoon and work on more intensive hockey skills. Another option could be to allow an outside company to run the academy, similar to the Yale Academy in Abbotsford. Players in the academy could then use those skills on both SMHA minor and the high school hockey team. They would also attend regular, condensed classes in the morning and the sports training would be similar to a physical education credit.
In our town the Midget-aged academy goers would be the SMHA Midget team and they could play on the high school team, Knight said. With the academy, we would basically double our ice time.
In addition to the on-ice training, there would be dryland and regular physical fitness components. Knight said it seems like a no-brainer to keep Brennan Park busy and profitable.
During the daytime schedule, there's not a lot of people around the rink and it's barely being used, he said. I would think Brennan Park would be interested in something like this. It's extra revenue for them.
Knight also pointed out that, if successful, the academy could extend to elementary schools. He said Grade 6s and 7s in three Chilliwack elementary schools have hockey academies and they've been successful.
Gaddes is still compiling results and those who want to check out the survey can visit www.surveymonkey.com/s/V8KZ9F3.
Knight said those who want more information can contact him at [email protected]. For more information on the Hockey Canada Hockey Academy model, visit www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/Hockey-Programs/Schools/HCSA.aspx.
With files from David Burke/The Chief
