Field Hockey BC is saddened to announce the passing of Barbara ‘Bim’  Schrodt (1929-2020) at the age of 91, one of the most prominent names in women’s field hockey in Canada. She was an accomplished player, coach, administrator and supporter of the sport throughout her life.

Bim was a true leader of the field hockey community, founding and presiding over the BC Women’s Field Hockey Federation in the 60s, serving as president of the Vancouver Women’s Field Hockey Association, and being one the founding directors of the Canadian Women’s Field Hockey Association.

Her influence to the sport is relevant and recognized to the point that FHBC presents every year the Barbara Schrodt Award to an individual “who has made a difference to women’s field hockey in British Columbia”.

Schrodt played a fundamental role in the development of coaches and umpires, and in the implementation of international field hockey rules in Canada. By hosting clinics across the country and through her handbook of ‘regulations and procedures’ – which became a model for establishing the national umpire certification used today – she was and always will be an important figure for our sport.

On the pitch, ‘Bim’ dedicated most of her career to the University of British Columbia and BC’s provincial teams. One of her numerous noteworthy achievements is the gold medal as a coach of the BC Team at the 1973 Canada Games. In addition to all these contributions, she also published the “Field Hockey for Women: a Guide to Basic and Advanced Play” in 1968, regarded as the first publication on women’s field hockey.

Graduating with a Bachelor of Physical Education from UBC in 1951, she was a teacher at the university’s Physical Education Faculty (currently School of Kinesiology) for thirty-seven years, leaving briefly to complete her PhD at the University of Alberta. Bim coached the UBC women’s field hockey team for eighteen years, between 1957 and 1977.

The Federal Government awarded Barbara with the Centennial Medal in 1967, honouring her contribution to field hockey, and, in 1981, she was named an Outstanding Contributor by the Vancouver Women’s Field Hockey Association. Furthermore, in 1999 and 2000, Schrodt was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame and the UBC Sports Hall of Fame, respectively, as a builder of the sport.

As her BC Hall of Fame citation reads, “Schrodt is the only Canadian to hold honorary membership at three levels of administration – local, provincial, and national – the highest honour attainable. She also holds the Canadian Association’s Honorary Umpire Award, the BC Federation’s Gold Honour Pin, and is the namesake for both the BC and Vancouver’s perpetual Award.”

The field hockey community and FHBC cannot be thankful enough for everything that Barbara ‘Bim’ Schrodt brought to our sport. We send our most sincere condolences to her family and friends, and our hearts remain grateful.

Read her profile at the UBC School of Kinesiology here.

Read her profile at the BC Sports Hall of Fame here.

You can access the PDF version of this document here.

Dear Field Hockey BC Members

On behalf of the Field Hockey BC (FHBC) Board of Directors, I am delighted to announce that the First Stage Responsible Return to Play Framework (for field hockey in BC) has now been officially approved. The FHBC Board of Directors met on the evening of June 11, 2020 to further consider the framework following the recent creation by the BC Provincial Government of a ministerial order protecting amateur sports organizations, their employees and volunteers from COVID -19 liability. Whilst the ministerial order provides for a welcome boost in confidence, it remains essential that sports organizations comply with public health orders and provincial sport guidelines, as well as, the now approved first stage responsible return to play framework for field hockey in BC. To read more on this proactive move by the BC Provincial Government, please refer to the following link:

https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020TAC0026-001038?utm_source=PSO+Connector&utm_campaign=7cb0c71525-Sportscape_2019_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9305c55a53-7cb0c71525-384328077

With the first stage framework now approved, what does this mean for the Local Sport Organization (LSO)? Well, earlier this week a DRAFT copy of the framework (date stamped June 5, 2020) was sent to LSO’s with the intent to aid preparation and planning. The now approved first stage responsible return to play framework (date stamped June 11, 2020) will be disseminated to LSO senior contacts in the same way later today. A copy of the approved framework will also be posted on the home page of the FHBC website (www.fieldhockeybc.com), referenced through Society social media channels and sent to viaSport for public posting on the viaSport website (www.viasport.ca).

As LSO’s assess the feasibility to return to play in this first stage, it is likely that some LSO’s will choose not to return at this stage. As the Organized Sport Sector across BC cautiously returns, many LSO’s will choose not to return for a number of varying and valid reasons and this is both understandable and anticipated. The approved framework provides guidance as to the minimum standard expected for active implementation in this first stage and we draw your particular attention to the participant ratios, the requirement for attestation form compliance ahead of every activity session, and the need to maintain safety standards ahead of all else.

The advice provided by the Public Health Office, viaSport, and now the approved PSO framework is intended to allow for LSO’s to develop activity plans and look to the necessary steps to secure appropriate facility permits. Where membership participation is concerned, it may be that many members have already requested membership fee refunds or deferrals to the following year, and for those members who may now wish to return we encourage you to re-register your membership prior to active participation. All members participating in LSO, PSO (FHBC), and NSO (FHC) programming must be a registered member in good standing.

As we take the necessary steps towards a return to organized field hockey activity, I encourage all members to take the necessary time to consider returning in what must be a responsible, consistent, and confident manner.

Yours in sport,

Mark Saunders
Executive Director
Field Hockey BC
June 12, 2020

The Field Hockey BC Provincial Pathway Review Project was officially launched on April 14th, 2020. The main purpose of the project is to review and evaluate the current FHBC Athlete Pathway and FHBC Athlete Program Model to ensure the Society is meeting the needs of the field hockey community and providing BC athletes with the best available high performance training environment, competitions and opportunities.

The project has completed its first phase and Field Hockey BC is hosting a webinar to provide FHBC members and affiliated Clubs with an update on the status of the project.

The session will provide information on the following:

• Provincial Pathway Working Group
• Project Scope
• Phase One Activities Completed To-Date
• Club Feedback Questionnaire Summary Response
• Phase 2 Activities Planned
• Next Steps

This webinar will be the first of two planned sessions that the Provincial Athlete Pathway Review Project will provide to the field hockey community. A second webinar will be held in approximately 6-8 weeks and will include a presentation on the project’s draft recommendations to the Field Hockey BC Board of Directors.

Further engagement between the Field Hockey BC Board and the Society’s membership will occur once the FHBC Board completes a risk assessment of the project’s recommendations and the operational considerations of the organization have been reviewed.

Date: Wednesday, June 17^th, 2020, 6:30 pm – 8 pm PST

Zoom Webinar Meeting Information:

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84424517187?pwd=ZFpTQVVYUVdtaHQrZzI5dzQveE03QT09

Webinar ID: 844 2451 7187
Password: 508144

You can access the PDF version of this document here.

Dear Field Hockey BC Members

On behalf of all involved with Field Hockey BC (FHBC), I would like to again thank the membership for its continued patience as we all navigate the complexities of the COVID-19 response. This is especially relevant to the ongoing effort being made to allow for the BC Organized Sport Sector to responsibly return to play.

Further to Communique #1 and #2 circulated on May 1^st, 2020 and May 15^th, 2020 respectively and in light of the recent release of the BC Return to Sport Guidelines by viaSport (link below) , I wanted to provide an update on behalf of the FHBC Board of Directors.

https://www.viasport.ca/sites/default/files/ReturntoSportGuidelines.pdf (released June 2, 2020)

Following receipt of the industry guidelines above, the FHBC draft framework for a ‘stage one’ return to responsible play was duly updated and formally considered by the FHBC Board of Directors on June 4, 2020. Whilst agreement was reached in principle relative to the framework detail, the FHBC Board of Directors deemed it prudent to delay a formal acceptance. As a result, the current FHBC framework for a ‘stage one’ responsible return to play remains in draft format but will be circulated to our Local Sport Organization (LSO) community early next week. The intent in circulating this latest draft framework, prior to the potential for formal acceptance, is in an effort to assist community wide preparation and planning for a ‘stage one’ return (or assessment as to the feasibility to return in ‘stage one’).

In anticipation of questions as to why the FHBC framework remains in draft format and pending formal approval, two fundamental hurdles remain:

1. The approval of junior and senior legal activity waiver templates
2. The provision for defense cost liability insurance coverage

The position of the FHBC Board of Directors at this time is that the hurdles above need to be appropriately addressed before a formal acceptance of the framework is considered. As a result, the FHBC Board of Directors will be scheduling responsible return to play meetings as deemed appropriate and/or as new information becomes available.

I am sure that the FHBC membership would agree that it remains essential that the sport of field hockey across BC returns responsibly and with the necessary confidence and protection. As a polite reminder to membership and with reference to the Field Hockey BC COVID-19 suspension notice dated March 20, 2020, Field Hockey BC continues to direct all members and affiliated clubs and associations to suspend all sanctioned field hockey activities in the province until further notice.

As we take the necessary steps towards a potential return to organized field hockey activity, I encourage all members to remain patient and optimistic for what we all trust will be a responsible, consistent, and confident return.

Yours in sport,

Mark Saunders
Executive Director
Field Hockey BC
June 5, 2020