The Global Sports Academy partnership located in Carlton Comprehensive High School has had a successful third year, and will see its first set of graduates since the program began.
The Saskatchewan Rivers School Division board of education received an update from Superintendent Cory Trann during their regular meeting on Monday. Education director Robert Bratvold said it’s exciting to see how the academy has developed.
“It’s growing and strengthening both in terms of the numbers of kids in it but also in terms of the programming offered and the opportunities there,” Bratvold said. “It really is going well.”
There are currently 74 students enrolled in the academy, with 30 students in Grade 9 to 12 hockey, and 18 in Grade 7 and 8 hockey. The latter brings in students from Red Wing, Ecole Vickers, Ecole Arthur Pechey and Osborne Schools, and 18 students enrolled in the high school athletics stream. These are broken down as one each in ringette, skiing, track and soccer, two in volleyball, three each in football and basketball/volleyball combined and six in multi-sport.
The Grade 9 to 12 program has a blended learning environment where students can work at their own pace and choose what they want to work on. In his report, Trann said they’ve seen success on both the academic and athletics sides of the program.
“It’s nice to get those students who have that interest and passion for those athletics,” Bratvold said. “Often they will have desire in terms of academics as well, and to be able to serve that need on both sides of their interest it is a great thing.”
Trann’s report showed that several community level athletes have moved into AA/AAA programs. They have seen also students with low attendance and credit earning transform to attending every day.
The program has started striving not only for credit completion, but completing it at a level to pursue post-secondary opportunities.
This year’s graduating class includes students committed to playing NCAA hockey south of the border, as well as with the U of S Huskies and other Canadian college sports programs.
The Global Sports Program has expanded to provide more than five hockey coaches, with a strength and conditioning team and connections with college/national team basketball, football, track and volleyball coaches.
Trann’s presentation was part of a series of presentations by Trann and Superintendent Jennifer Hingley about learning, innovation, and the school division’s Strategic Plan. Bratvold said they wanted to update trustees on a handful of learning innovations in the division.
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
