Squamish is recognized worldwide as having some of the best bike trails on the planet and Howe Sound Secondary School (HSSS) students might be using those trails as a classroom, of sorts, as early as next February.
The school's proposed cycling academy was presented to the general public at a meeting last month and HSSS athletic director Joel Harwood said the buzz for the project has been positive.
"The response from the community so far has been really good," he said. "I went to the Team Squamish meeting and they're all super supportive. Our international recruiters are really keen on it and we've had a number of kids that have already registered."
Harwood said he doesn't have a number of kids registered, as registration forms go straight to the school board office. But he voiced confidence that the interest is there.
He said that if approved, the academy will be run in a similar fashion to the proposed hockey academy, with students receiving a PE credit for successful completion of the course. It's scheduled to run in Semester 2, which takes place from February to June.
A typical week would see students ride Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with classroom and dryland training on Tuesday and Thursday. The biking portions would be led by coaches Mike Charuk and Cory Leclerc, two men who Harwood said would be great class leaders.
"Mike is the head coach of Team B.C. and is a local guy, so having him involved is great," he said. "His résumé is massive and he's so great with the kids."
Leclerc has a wealth of experience and has been involved with coaching the sport for more than eight years. Harwood said there will always be a teacher present during all rides and in many cases it will be himself.
"Between myself knowing how to fit an academy into a school model and these two coaches, I think we should put together a great program," he said. "I hope it could be something we see at Don Ross or elsewhere."
In addition to the cycling, there will also be off-site training conducted at the local gym Challenge by Choice and classroom sessions working on a variety of subjects from nutrition to goal-setting and mental training.
Harwood said the academy is open to all levels of riders. Elite riders won't necessarily receive high marks, he said.
"We want to build elite people through whatever their interest is," he said. "This academy will give competitive cyclists the opportunity to reach their goals and give recreational cyclists the chance to learn more about the industry and learn more about other career paths in cycling."
He said participants will learn about the career of a bike mechanic from a place like Tantalus Bike Shop, discover more about the career of a trail builder with SORCA and give kids internships with local guiding companies. Students will also take tests to complete first aid training, coaching certifications and guide certifications.
The cost is $1,000, with a $500 deposit due by May 1 and the remainder due by June 20. The academy will be capped at 24 students for its first year.
Harwood said the academy, just like the proposed hockey academy, is still pending school board approval and both academies go to the board next Wednesday (March 12). He said trustees may or may not make a decision that day but it's possible they could require more time to deliberate.
For more details on the program, contact Harwood at [email protected].
