Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs is getting a boost in promoting soccer in the Northwest, with help coming from the Vancouver Whitecaps.
The major league soccer franchise has partnered with BATC to bring a soccer academy to the Battlefords this spring. The announcement was made by BATC Friday.
According to the BATC news release, North Battleford will host a regional academy centre as part of the Whitecaps' player development program.
There will be two groups training with the Whitecaps. One program will be exclusively for BATC community youth; the other will be an open group in the Battlefords. The program runs nine weeks from May 6 to July 6.
Age groups will be U12, U14 and U16. Each group will accommodate 20 youth at no charge thanks to a grant from the BATC Community Development Corporation. It is open to boys and girls.
Posters with registration and training information are being circulated among area First Nations and community groups in the battlefords.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC have been active in efforts to set up soccer academies in various locations. They already have five such soccer academies in locations in British Columbia, and recently they have branched out into Saskatchewan.
In March, the club announced they were setting up a Saskatchewan academy centre in Saskatoon that would run programs out of that location - their first location outside British Columbia.
Now, with the recent announcement from BATC, the Saskatchewan Academy's programs and training will now be available right in North Battleford.
The program is led and managed by Whitecaps regional head coach Bryce Chapman. According to BATC, all the training sessions are developed by Whitecaps FC staff, and delivered by Whitecaps Saskatchewan academy centre staff coaches.
Training sessions will take place at the new NationsWEST Field House in North Battleford.
The news that Whitecaps FC is setting up in North Battleford is exciting for the community according to BATC athletics manager Lisa McEachern.
"The Whitecaps are one of three major league soccer clubs in Canada and we are lucky to have them coming to our community for nine weeks, five days a week, four hours a day to train with our youth," said McEachern.
