Sacred Heart School/École SacréCoeur (SHSC) has a new program they’re eager to begin.
Their Hockey Canada Skills Academy (HSCA) is a hockey training program for students in Grades 5-8, accredited by Hockey Canada. The program does not interfere with local hockey programming, but works to complement those clubs and the students working within.
“With having extra time on the ice and off the ice, students will be able to focus on developing their technical skills that they normally would not have time during a traditional minor hockey practice,” said Mark Moriarty, the director of the Hockey Academy and a teacher at Sacred Heart.
The hockey academy’s aim is to improve students’ skills and endurance both on and off the ice, with the extra time they have allotted to theory and conditioning, along with bringing in guest coaches and extensive staff.
“This is a great opportunity for students to develop their hockey skills during the school day … The idea of practice makes perfect is a great analogy here. More on ice time, means more of an opportunity for growth and improvement,” Moriarty elaborates.
“Our local minor hockey association does an outstanding job of allowing students the chance to become skilled players with a love of the game.”
The program plans to build on the passion and love that the players have for the game through the local minor hockey association. The program will run annually, so students who begin in Grade 5 can play all the way through to Grade 8 if they choose. The program is open to any student from Grades 5-8 of any school, race, religious background and gender.
“No matter your background there is a place for you at SHSC. It is also important to us that the Sacred Heart HCSA is inclusive and open to all students including diverse faith perspectives and genders.
“Everyone is welcome at Sacred Heart/Sacre Coeur and our Hockey Academy is no exception to that belief.” Moriarty says. “Students enrolled at Sacred Heart are the first to have the opportunity to register but we are always open to new students joining our school community.”
According to Moriarty, community support has been overwhelming and kind. “Estevan Minor Hockey, the Estevan Bruins, Estevan Bears and even members of the Centennial Cup committee were excited to hear about this type of program becoming available in our city.” Moriarty continues. “They had seen the benefits this has had on students in other communities and saw this as a great way of continuing growth for prospective players in both our community teams and organizations and beyond.”
Local organizations and the City of Estevan’s leisure services were even involved during the preparation process, creating schedules and shifting practice times to ensure students would get onto the ice for their practice times.
“The application is very rigorous and involved a lot of planning and foresight, but with the support we received and the passion and commitment of the staff that made it possible, it has not felt challenging at all.”
Moriarty expresses how excited he is to start working with students, even with the shadow of pandemic protocols looming over the program.
“So far the pandemic and restrictions have not had an impact on any of our planning for the academy start up in the fall. With the province’s reopening plan, and the support from our division office, we are confident that things should run smoothly in the fall.”
The hockey academy is prepared to re-adjust if needed, but will worry about those problems should they occur. The hockey academy plans to open in the fall with all registered students.
