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Three new sports academies in Maple Ridge high schools

Garibaldi will have baseball and softball, MRSS golf
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Maple Ridge’s strong baseball tradition will get a boost with a new academy which will run out of Garibaldi secondary beginning in the 2018/2019 school year. (THE NEWS files)

There will be a new golf academy at Maple Ridge secondary and softball and baseball academies at Garibaldi secondary beginning September 2018.

The high performance golf academy will include player gear packages and membership at the Pitt Meadows Golf Club for nine months, and will cost those students taking part $1,800 for the year, and the enrolment will be 20 students in the first year.

The baseball academy will cost $2,500 for the year, softball $1,800, and both will have an enrolment of 25 students.

The academies were approved by the school board on Feb. 7 as the latest in a growing number of choice programs in the district. These already include academies for hockey, soccer, basketball, dance, digital arts, equestrian, Microsoft IT and interdisciplinary arts.

“What we’re trying to do is ensure kids are able to pursue things of great interest to them,” said school board chair Mike Murray, adding there is powerful synergy in combining school with a student’s passions.

“We have a number of choice programs at all the high schools, and this adds to the offerings.”

One of the latest academies had Murray wishing he could turn back the clock.

“I wish I had started taking golf when I was in secondary school,” said the frequent partaker of a good walk spoiled.

MRSS will host the high performance golf academy for students across the district, featuring elite level, sport-specific instruction for students in grades 8-12. There will be instruction in the classroom, on the golf course, driving range and in the weight room.

Lance Kraus, who has Level 3 national coaching certification program credentials, will be the MRSS staff member involved.

The Zone Golf Academy will provide professional golf instruction headed by former Asian PGA Tour pro Brad Ewart.

The sports academy courses will deal with subjects such as sports psychology, fitness, nutrition, goal setting and other performance-related topics.

Murray said the board’s questionnaires showed a huge interest in the ball academies, which will both be for students in Grades 8-12.

The Bullpen Baseball School and its owner, Fred Sabatine, will partner with Garibaldi in offering that academy, and the Ridge Meadows Minor Softball Association will partner in the softball academy at the school.

Rob Hartford, president of the softball association, said Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows ball players have been going to the Yale softball academy in Abbotsford, and another in White Rock.

“We’re going to rebuild Ridge to what it should be,” he said. “It’s an intense program.”

He said players will do a variety of ball activities in the club’s warehouse, which is equipped with artificial turf and batting cages, in the weight room and on the field at the school.

Heather Holland will be the Garibaldi staff member involved in the program.

She has NCAA experience, and that is the desired destination for many of the girls who will be involved.

“That would be the goal for most of the girls going this intense – to get their education paid for by playing ball.”

The long-term goal for the association will be create a competitive team based at the school, and which will travel to tournaments where players can be seen by scouts.

Hartford believes the school will fill up quickly.

“It has been a lot of work going into it, and there’s still a lot of work to be done, but we’re super excited about it,” he said.

An information night about the softball academy is scheduled for March 7 at 7 p.m. at Garibaldi secondary.



Neil Corbett

About the Author: Neil Corbett

I have been a journalist for more than 30 years, the past decade with the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News.
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