Registration has begun for the new field hockey academy for North Shore secondary school students that will start this fall for the upcoming school year.
Created by the North Vancouver school district and Field Hockey B.C., the new sports academy will be based out of North Vancouver’s Sutherland secondary and will be open to all students between grades eight and 12. Students will earn a P.E. grade equivalent upon completion.
To start off, the program will be limited to 35 available spots, something principal and co-founder of the program John McGowan said will likely fill up fast.
McGowan said program leaders wanted to ensure they could get the program off to a good start in terms of coaching and facility space.
McGowan said if too many students apply for the program, officials will use a lottery system to choose who gets a spot.
Cost may be another issue for some families McGowan told school trustees at a recent board meeting, citing the $2,500 annual fee for the program.
However McGowan said one of the benefits of partnering with a provincial organization like Field Hockey B.C. are the bursaries these organizations offer to families who can’t pay the fee. He cited similar instances in the district’s volleyball academy, which is a partnership with Volleyball B.C.
McGowan said there have been five students in the past few years who have received bursaries to attend the volleyball academy.
Applicants for the new program must submit registration and medical forms to the school district no later than April 10.
