The Provincial Pathway Series

The Provincial Pathway is a series which will follow a select number of FHBC athletes on their journey from the Regional Program through to the National Championships.

U15 Boys BC Rams – India Club Tournament gold medallists

With the 2018 National Championships only two weeks away, we are excited to introduce the U15 Boys BC teams who will be travelling to Toronto to take on the top teams from across the country.

This year, BC will be sending two teams of 16 players each to the National Championships at the U15 Boys level. The BC Rams and the BC Lions are mostly made up of athletes from the Lower Mainland, with the exception of three players who have been travelling from Vancouver Island almost every weekend to train with their team.

As the last few weekends of training wrap up and the teams prepare for Toronto, we got the chance to hear from U15 BC Lions athlete, Calder Wheatley, with regards to his experience in training at the Provincial level.

“Training is going well; we’re working on fitness, agility and tactical skills,” said Wheatley. “I have lots of new teammates and I’m getting to know them well as we continue to practice in Vancouver.”

Calder Wheatley (right) in action at the India Club Tournament

Wheatley is in his second year as a member of the U15 BC Lions. As one of the U15 Boys Island athletes, the Provincial program is a rare opportunity for him to train exclusively with athletes of his age group. The boys field hockey community on Vancouver Island is quite small, therefore there is no club league at his age.

“Both the Regional and the Provincial programs build on fitness, tactical and technical skills, which really builds my hockey skills,” Wheatley explained. “The biggest differences are playing with athletes outside Victoria, having new coaches and travelling to Vancouver on a regular basis for practices. It’s a good way to play with other players my own age since we do not have this on the Island.”

U15 BC Lions during the India Club Tournament bronze medal game

Working with coaches Sujay Mehta and Graem D’Andrade, the U15 BC Lions are working on building up their team dynamic as well as individual skill sets leading into the National Championships. They had their first taste of competition this past weekend at the India Club Tournament, where they finished in fourth place in the U16 Boys division.

The U15 BC Rams, led by head coach and Men’s National Team member Adrien D’Andrade, had a strong showing at the India Club Tournament. In a tight Championship match, the BC Rams came out on top with a 3-1 victory over the U16 India Club to take the gold medal.

U15 BC Rams in action during the India Club Tournament gold medal game

The Rams will be looking for a repeat performance after taking the gold medal at Nationals in 2017. With only one weekend of training to go, both teams are gearing up to play their best hockey on the National stage.

“The intensity and competitiveness gradually builds up as we move thru the program. This helps to have us ready to play our best at Nationals,” said Wheatley. “It should be a good experience and I’m looking forward to the trip with my team.”

Click below for full for U15 Boys BC Team rosters and athlete bios:

U15 Boys BC Rams

U15 Boys BC Lions

The Provincial Pathway Series

The Provincial Pathway is a series which will follow a select number of FHBC athletes on their journey from the Regional Program through to the National Championships.

U15 Girls BC Rams – India Club Tournament gold medallists

The U15 Girls BC Teams have been hard at work over the last six weeks as they prepare to take on the rest of the country at the National Championships in Toronto, Ontario. With Nationals only two weeks away, we had the opportunity to hear from BC Rams’ athletes Laine Delmotte and Savina Purewal with a look into Provincial training and the road to Nationals.

“I feel that the Provincial training is really getting us prepared and allowing us to peak just in time for the Nationals,” said Purewal. “The training is intense and we are all getting to know each other as we train together.”

“The training has been awesome!  I love the high intensity in all of the sessions and the competitiveness with all my teammates,” said Delmotte. “Everyone pushes each other in training on the field and off while doing fitness. We all have already come together really well, and we are starting to get more comfortable with each other.”

Laine Delmotte in action during the gold medal game at the India Club Tournament

Delmotte, who has been training with the North Shore Academy for the last two years, is going into her second National Championships after finishing in fourth with the U15 BC White Lions last year. The BC Rams head coach, Jenn Beagan, is also Delmotte’s coach in the Academy Program.

Jenn Beagan, head coach of the BC Rams.

“Jenn has coached me for quite a while now,” Delmotte reflected. “She always keeps us focused and her talks and feedback motivates us, and keeps the sessions at that high intensity.”

Beagan, in her second year coaching the U15 Girls BC Rams, led the team to a National Championship Gold medal last year. Savina Purewal is one of only two players from the 2017 U15 National Champions who will be returning to the same BC team this year.

“I would describe Jenn as a knowledgeable and well-organized coach.  She makes sure that she gives positive feedback and is really connecting with each of the players,” Purewal explained. “From the beginning she has set high expectations. She’s great at motivating each of us and is always keeping the training sessions positive and productive.”

This year, the U15 Girls will be sending three BC Teams to the National Championships. The BC Rams are comprised of the top athletes from the Lower Mainland, the BC Stags are based on Vancouver Island, and the BC Lions have a range of athletes from all across the province, including the Island, the Interior and the Lower Mainland.

U15 Girls BC Rams

Throughout their two month period of Provincial training between the Regional Festival and the National Championships, the U15 Girls BC Teams are training an average of four hours a week as a team with added fitness components during the week.

Purewal and Delmotte describe their sessions as highly intense, with each session focused around specific skills and set team plays.

“The Provincial Program really builds on the training, fitness and coaching from the Regional Program so you can compete at your very best at the Nationals,” said Purewal. “ The training is really intense and the expectations are high.”

Savina Purewal, captain of the Rams for the gold medal game at the India Club Tournament

“I find that Academy is more focused on individual skills, but the Provincial program is more team based and we learn more field awareness and positional tactics,” Delmotte explained. “I think doing Academy prior to Provincials was good for me because it helped me get comfortable playing with better and stronger girls who pushed me to be the best I can be.”

The BC Rams and BC Lions got their first taste of in-game action this past weekend at the annual India Club Tournament in Surrey. Playing in the U17 Girls division, the teams had the added challenge of competing against older girls. The BC Lions had an exciting finish, with a shootout victory over SHC for the bronze medal. The shootout went into sudden death, where Navjot Mangat scored the game winner.

U15 BC Lions – India Club Tournament bronze medallists

The U15 BC Rams came out on top with an exciting 1-0 win in the final against India Club. The Rams goal came in the dying minutes of the game, when Laine Delmotte got the ball off of a short corner and fed Taylor Katsube who buried it to give her team the victory.

“I think my team is preparing well and that we will be ready on the day of competition,” stated Purewal. “What I am most looking forward to is hopefully with hard work and determination to come back from Nationals as Champions.”

“I am looking forward to playing games against tough competition and I’m also really looking forward to bonding and travelling with my teammates,” said Delmotte. “I think our team is very well prepared.”

The U15 Girls BC teams will take on the rest of the country at the National Championships from July 12-16 at the University of Toronto, Ontario. Click here to visit the National Championships website.

For full U15 Girls BC Team rosters and athlete bios:

U15 Girls BC Rams

U15 Girls BC Stags

U15 Girls BC Lions