viaSport Grant Programs

Funded by the Province of B.C., Government of Canada, individual foundations and corporations, viaSport awards approximately $2 million dollars in sport-related grant programs each year. The program’s aim is to reduce barriers and ensure quality sport experiences by:

  • Increasing participation and leadership opportunities for under-represented groups
  • Developing grassroots sports in outlying and under-served areas in B.C.
  • Supporting the continued education of training of certified coaches
  • Encouraging regional, provincial, national and international sport event hosting across the province
  • Assisting with travel costs for youth

To apply and for more information, access the viaSport Grants page.

Indoor Field Hockey Sessions offered by the Comox Valley FHA

The Comox Valley Field Hockey Association is inviting players to join their indoor field hockey sessions starting this week, on Tuesday, at Lewis Centre (489 Old Island Hwy, Courtenay, BC V9N 3P5) from 8:00 to 9:00pm. All sessions will take place on Tuesdays on the following dates: Oct 18th, Oct 25th, Nov 1st ,  Nov 15th , Nov 22nd, Nov 29th.

You can access the registration form and waiver here.

Read the invitation communique from the Comox Valley Field Hockey Association below:

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Last year we had a great turnout for indoor and it was a lot of fun. I hope to have 8 – 10 players each session for good play action with 4 -5 per side. To accomplish this, I will send those that contact me regarding their interest, a text early the night before (Monday) requesting whether they will be attending the session Tuesday Night. If fewer than 8 respond, we will consider cancelling, although we have played indoor with 6 – 7 players in the past. Last year, we did not have to cancel one session and had at least 8 player show up each session.  

The cost for indoor sessions will be $5 drop in or $20 for all 6 sessions paid in advance. Our club does have indoor sticks that players can borrow so all you need to bring is a mouth guard and shin pads to play, and preferably white bottomed running shoes that won’t mark gym floors. 

Please email or text me personally, Julie Micksch at jmicksch@gmail.com or text at 250-792-0297 if you are interested in coming out for all or any of our indoor sessions so that I can create a more personal email and text contact list. And please feel free to email or text me directly if you have any further questions regarding indoor field hockey starting next Tuesday, October 18th. I’ve added some additional info below regarding session fee payment, field hockey insurance, waivers and registration. 

Looking forward to hearing from you and seeing you in the gym for some awesome exercise and fun.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

A change has been made with regards to e-transfer payment for the Club.  In order to pay for sessions, you can e-transfer your fee to the Club email address now and the e-transfer is auto-deposited so no need for a security question and answer.  Please do not use the previous phone number provided as this will not work any longer.

Here is the email address you need to use to e-transfer your payment to the Comox Valley Field Hockey Club: cvlfha@gmail.com. Attached is the NEW Waiver Form with this email so please download and fill out and bring to the next session so that we can update our records. Also, just a reminder, all members must have a mouth guard and shin guards if you wish to play during each session.  Safety first!

Honouring National Day For Truth And Reconciliation, September 30

Article by viaSport


On September 30, individuals and communities will be honouring Orange Shirt Day, as well as the second National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. Collectively, we are marking this important occasion by encouraging members of the sport, physical activity, and recreation sectors to actively participate in this day of Truth and Reconciliation.

The individual and collective journeys of Truth and Reconciliation are enduring. It isn’t a destination, but rather a lifelong path of reflection, learning, and understanding. Accordingly, we are inviting everyone within the sport, physical activity, and recreation sector to make a personal and/or organizational commitment to reconciliation.

What is Orange Shirt Day?

Orange Shirt Day is an Indigenous-led commemorative day which officially started in 2013 as a way to honour Indigenous children and educate Canadians about the harmful impact the residential school system had and continues to have on Indigenous peoples and communities. It is “a day that we honour all the children who survived residential schools, as well as honour and recognize those who did not return,” said Brenda Gunn, academic and research director at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

The origins of Orange Shirt Day date back to 1973 when Phyllis Webstad of Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation, entered the St. Joseph Mission Residential School, outside of Williams Lake, B.C. Phyllis, who was six years old at the time, was wearing the brand new orange shirt her grandmother bought for her to wear for her first day of school. Upon arrival, she was stripped of her clothing and had to put on her school’s institutional uniform; her orange shirt was gone forever. Phyllis, like countless others, felt like no one cared. Her experience with residential school led Phyllis to champion Orange Shirt Day and the “Every Child Matters” movement. Learn more here.

What is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation?

In June 2021, the federal government announced that September 30, 2021 would mark the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The day honours the lost children and Survivors of residential schools, their families, and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.

Creating a federal holiday was one of the 94 Calls to Action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission established in 2015. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action outlines 94 specific recommendations made in order to redress the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of reconciliation in Canada.

There are five Calls to Action that directly relate to sport. Sports and Reconciliation Calls to Action #87 to #91 can be found on page 20 of the report. Review the five Sports and Reconciliation Calls to Action below:

87. We call upon all levels of government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, sports halls of fame, and other relevant organizations, to provide public education that tells the national story of Aboriginal athletes in history.

88. We call upon all levels of government to take action to ensure long-term Aboriginal athlete development and growth, and continued support for the North American Indigenous Games, including funding to host the games and for provincial and territorial team preparation and travel.

89. We call upon the federal government to amend the Physical Activity and Sport Act to support reconciliation by ensuring that policies to promote physical activity as a fundamental element of health and well-being, reduce barriers to sports participation, increase the pursuit of excellence in sport, and build capacity in the Canadian sport system, are inclusive of Aboriginal peoples.

90. We call upon the federal government to ensure that national sports policies, programs, and initiatives are inclusive of Aboriginal peoples, including, but not limited to, establishing:

    1. In collaboration with provincial and territorial governments, stable funding for, and access to, community sports programs that reflect the diverse cultures and traditional sporting activities of Aboriginal peoples.
    2. An elite athlete development program for Aboriginal athletes.
    3. Programs for coaches, trainers, and sports officials that are culturally relevant for Aboriginal peoples.
    4. Anti-racism awareness and training programs.

91. We call upon the officials and host countries of international sporting events such as the Olympics, Pan Am, and Commonwealth games to ensure that Indigenous peoples’ territorial protocols are respected, and local Indigenous communities are engaged in all aspects of planning and participating in such events.

Further information on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is available here.

Field Hockey BC is seeking coaches for our Schools Program

Field Hockey BC is seeking coaches for our Schools Program, which is designed to introduce the sport to elementary and middle school children. Each program takes place in a school, during school hours, over the course of 3-6 weeks.

Coaches will be paid $25/hour. To be hired, coaches must have weekday availability and submit a Criminal Record Check. 

Over $1000 raised in honour of Pat Hall’s contributions

Originally posted on the Vancouver Island Ladies Field Hockey Association  website


On Sept. 17, a small group of the Vancouver Island field hockey community gathered to have a belated celebration of Pat Hall’s 2020 induction into the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame.

Read more: https://gvshof.ca/inductees-2/all-inductees/11-builders/336-pat-hall-2020.html

The evening featured an impressive display of articles, photos and memorabilia spanning Pat’s involvement in field hockey. Long time friend Shelley Andrews, who was coached by Hall at Oak Bay High, emceed the event in entertaining fashion, while an impromptu open mic followed.

Kind words followed from former VILFHA president Denise McGeachy, current Umpires Association President Alison Sweeten, as well as remarks from Anne Batey, Denise Hall and players who have been coached by or played with Pat. It was truly a community evening with representation from all current clubs as well as past members including Craig Wilson, Liz Munn and Ev Sigalet.

VILFHA hosted the event so that all donations and ticket contributions could support the FHBC Pat Hall Officials Development Award. This award is designed to promote the development of Vancouver Island umpires and technical officials. An award of up to $500 will be allocated each year to successful applicants. In order to be eligible for this award, applicants must be a member in good standing with Field Hockey BC and an active official within National, Provincial or Club based programming.

The award was created by VILFHA when Pat retired from a long, long-standing term on the executive.

VILFHA is pleased to announce that $1,160 was raised last night.

Thank you to everyone who contributed in congratulations to Pat!

See photos from the event last night on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/vancouverislandladiesfieldhockey

 

 

FHBC welcomes new Head Provincial Coach and Performance Manager, Patricia Wright-Alexis

Field Hockey BC is delighted to welcome Patricia to the FHBC Staff Team. Patricia will be conducting a full review of the coach and talent identification program delivered through FHBC over the course of the past Spring and Summer before assisting the Society in the identification of coach and athlete centered strategic priorities as part of FHBC’s new six year strategic plan. The FHBC Board and Staff Team look forward to supporting Patricia as she transitions into her new role and we invite community members to reach out to Patricia to welcome her to the fold.

Patricia is a certified FIH Hockey Academy Level 3 Coach with eleven years coaching experience and has been involved in development and strategic planning for field hockey for over eight years. She was the co-captain of her university team (University of Massachusetts, USA), and was selected to the A-10 All-Conference team three of her four years at university. She is a former national player and captain and represented Trinidad and Tobago at the junior and senior levels for fifteen years before retiring and going full time into coaching.

As a coach, she held the position of Development Head Coach at the Trinidad and Tobago Hockey Board for two years before founding IN Sports Field Hockey Academy with the vision of introducing the sport to non-traditional schools and communities and focusing on development within the 5 – 16 age range. Patricia also coached the female hockey team at the University of the West Indies and was a part of the coaching staff for the Junior Women National team for the last two Junior Pan Am Championships.

Before her career in sports, Patricia worked in the Supply Chain and Logistics field for over six years. She earned her BSc in Business Management (Hons) from the University of Massachusetts and holds a certificate in International Relations. Patricia is a fitness enthusiast and enjoys the outdoors, reading a good book, and spending quality time with her husband and two children.

Indy Sehmbi – Coach & Community Builder – One Athlete at a Time

Indy Sehmbi has played a huge role in the development of young field hockey athletes in the Lower Mainland and throughout Canada.

Indy started coaching provincially in 2000 and continued to coach BC Provincial teams until 2013.

In 2009, Indy join the Men’s National Team as a video analyst and toured with the team to Australia, Argentina, India (Commonwealth Games and World Cup), Mexico (Pan American Games) and South Africa for the next two years.

As Indy increased his knowledge the game though his international experience, he decided it was time to put this knowledge to work and joined the Canadian Junior National Team in 2011 as an assistant coach alongside Aaron Guest.

Indy continued as an assistant Canadian Junior National Team coach until 2013 when we took a more leadership role in the Junior National Program.

In 2014, Indy coached the Youth National team to the U18 Youth Olympics where they won the silver medal.

From 2015-2021 Indy was the Junior Head Coach.  Indy led the Junior National program and took the team to two Junior Pan American Games (Silver and Fourth Place finishes) and to two Junior World Cups (both in India)

Indy has been such a positive coach and role model for so many athletes on both the Junior National and Club programs. Throughout his involvement with the National and Junior National Team Indy was a driving force with the Burnaby Lake Field Hockey Club promoting the development of young players and solidifying the Burnaby Club as contenders in the Vancouver league year in and year out.

 

After taking the Junior National Team to the Junior World Cup in December of 2021 Indy mad the tough decision to step aside and take some time away from coaching at the National level.

Indy has helped to develop so many local players and is a coach and person who truly believes in each individual and their potential. Indy can be described as a Coach and Community Builder – one Athlete at a time.

We would like to wish Indy well in which ever challenge he takes on next and thank him for all of his amazing contributions to Field Hockey in Canada.

From proud friends and supports of coach Indhi


 

The new Membership Registration System in partnership with Field Hockey Canada for 2022-2023 is now open!

Following our Communique #1 and Communique #2 regarding Field Hockey BC’s new Membership Registration System, we are happy to inform that registrations are now open for the 2022-2023 Season.

Please, refer to the Step-by-Step Guide for more information before registering.

To start the registration process, access our Membership Page

Should you require further assistance, support is available by contacting info@fieldhockeybc.com.

New FHBC Membership Registration Notice #2 Ahead of the 2022-23 Season

You may access the PDF version of this document here.


Further to the first community communique (dated July 8, 2022) concerning Field Hockey BC’s (FHBC’s) new Membership Registration System Partnership with Field Hockey Canada for 2022-23, this communique is intended to direct membership attention to the appropriate section of the FHBC website for a Step-by-Step Guide on “How To” Register for a 2022-23 Membership. As a polite reminder:

  • Every field hockey player, coach and official is required to register as an individual member ahead of active participation in any given season. The calendar season is September 1st to August 31st inclusive. ​_
  • Each member is required to pay a membership fee to BOTH Field Hockey BC (FHBC) and Field Hockey Canada (FHC) unless otherwise stated
  • The online membership registration system will provide the opportunity for the payment of both FHBC and FHC fees within a single transaction. These fees will not need to be considered as part of your annual club fee structure.
  • All individual memberships will involve an online registration process, the system for which is accessible from the FHBC website.
  • Members only need to formally register as a member in ONE category.
  • Some members may be players, coaches and/or officials and under these circumstances, members are required to register in the category with the HIGHEST fee (see the table here for reference).
  • The option to register will be open throughout the year with the membership year again running September 1 – August 31. Memberships purchased at any point in the season will always and only be valid until August 31 of that same season.

To access the online Membership Registration System, an existing or new member is directed to the FHBC Website and specifically to the 2022-23 Membership Page at the following link: https://fieldhockeybc.com/registration-system-step-by-step-guide-how-to-register-for-a-2022-23-membership/

The 2022-23 Membership Page provides detail as to the Step-by-Step Guide on “How To” Register for a 2022-23 Membership, as well as other membership related details. This page will be updated as necessary in the lead into the official opening of the registration system on August 16, 2022. A notice confirming that 2022-23 membership registration is open will be circulated and posted on the FHBC website homepage on August 16, 2022.

FHBC again appreciates that any change to a Membership Registration process has the ability to impact the time taken by the BC Membership to navigate such change. FHBC remains extremely appreciative of the BC memberships patience as we move through this collective change together. Please do keep the membership registration questions coming. These can be directed to the following e-mail address at info@fieldhockeybc.com. The Society staff remain committed to providing as much clarity as possible in the lead into and throughout the 2022-23 season.

Yours in sport,

Mark Saunders
Executive Director
Field Hockey BC
August 1, 2022

2022 FHC National Championships starts this weekend in Surrey

The Under 18 and Under 16 National Championships in Surrey, BC get underway with the first official practice day on July 29, 2022. Competition begins July 30, 2022 at Tamanawis Park, Surrey.

Under 18 National Championships – July 29-August 3, 2022
Under 16 National Championships – August 10-August 14, 2022

2022 Playing Schedules:

2022 FHC U18 Nationals Playing Schedule

2022 FHC U16 Nationals Playing Schedule

Online LIVE SCORING is available throughout the Championships at the following link: https://fhc.altiusrt.com/