Field Hockey BC is currently accepting applications for individuals looking to receive coaching mentorship on the Island. The FHBC Coach Mentorship Program is designed to allow selected coaches to receive practical 1-on-1 mentorship to help close any identified or observed gaps that would enable them to achieve a desired competency level or professional goal. The program will be limited to 3-5 mentee coaches in the development through to the performance stream, with priority given to coaches who are keen on supporting FHBC programs at any level.    

Applicants would be required to: 

• Commit to at least 10 hours (on field and classroom or Zoom) over 3 to 6 months. 
• Complete the Safe Sport and MED modules.
• Complete a criminal Record Check

To apply, please complete the following form:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=3iIHhBPzkEqh0zzvwvTE7CQYJKSE9-ZCm0r5OHSdUsRUMEZDMEJUUzg4U0I1MUdJTVRWSUJMVDIySi4u

We hosted the U18 Girls Club Championships May 24-26, the first of our Club Championship tournaments for 2024. It was great to have 15 teams entered, with representation from both the Island and Interior. There were a lot of exciting games throughout the weekend, with three out of the four medal games going to a shoot out.

Tier 1 Participating Teams:

India Club, SEAtoSKY Aqua, SEAtoSKY Grey, Vancouver Red Hawks, West Vancouver

Tier 2 Participating Teams:

BC Interior, Burnaby Bears, Cowichan, Delta Falcons, Kelowna Kraken, Tri City Dynamo, Tri City Impact, Valley Girls, Vancouver Black Hawks, Victoria

May 18-20 saw another successful hosting of the Vancouver International Tournament. Thank you to all of the players, coaches, team managers, spectators, and particularly the umpires for a helping to make the event a success. With it being a busy weekend for events, our umpiring resources were stretched very thin and we are extremely thankful for all those that stepped up to make sure that the VIT was able to happen. It was particularly great to see the inclusion of a Men's Social Division this year, thanks to the support of the MVPL.

Final Standings:

Women's Masters Division:

First Place - Kwik Kiwis

Second Place - Masters O35

Third Place - Furious Tangos

Women’s Social Division:

First Place - Tri City Eagles

Second Place - Wabi Sabi

Third Place - Meralomas

Men’s Social Division:

First Place - Team Pandit

Second Place - Team Warren

Third Place - Team Rutledge

Mixed Social Division:

First Place - Rebels

Second Place - Emerald City

Third Place - Whistler

Spirit of Judy Broom Award: Tigressas

Call for Nominations

3 Board of Director Positions with Field Hockey BC

Dear Field Hockey BC Members and Participants,

Field Hockey BC is seeking nominations to fill 3 vacant positions on our 9-member Board of Directors for 2024. This is an exciting opportunity to help guide the strategic direction and policy oversight for our sport in British Columbia. Nominations will be accepted until September 15th, 2024.

Board Responsibilities:

The FHBC Board of Directors is responsible for setting the strategic vision, developing policies, and providing governance oversight for the organization. Recent priorities have included:

• Completing an independent organizational review
• Passing new Society bylaws
• Developing a new Strategic Plan through 2028
• Reviewing and updating policies to align with strategic priorities

New Board Structure:

Under our new bylaws, Board members will no longer have individualized sport portfolios. Instead, Directors form ad hoc committees and working groups to oversee key projects and governance duties. The Board also annually elects Officers (President, Vice-President, Finance Director).

Skills & Experience Sought:

FHBC is looking for candidates with experience in areas such as:

• Non-profit governance
• Sports organization governance
• Financial accounting/qualifications
• Policy development and oversight
• Communications and media leadership
• Legal services background

While not required, some familiarity with field hockey would be beneficial for getting up to speed quickly.

Eligibility Requirements:

To be eligible to serve as a Director, an individual must:

a) Be sixteen (16) years of age or older;

b) Not convicted of criminal offenses described in Section 44 of the Act;

c) Not be a full time employee of the Society and/or a Member, or a Director of a Member;

d) Have not been declared incapable by a court in Canada or in another country; and

e) Not have the status of bankrupt.

Candidates do not have to be Registered Participants (ie. a member of a field hockey club) to be eligible to stand for election as a Director. 

Nomination Process:

If you or someone you know is interested in being considered for one of the three open Board positions, please submit a brief bio highlighting relevant experience to gcaldecott@hotmail.com by September 15th, 2024. However, please note that positions are eligible to be filled at any time leading up the deadline. 

We look forward to adding new perspectives to our Board to help guide Field Hockey BC into the future. Thank you for your support of our sport.

Sincerely,

Gavin Caldecott

Vice-President, Field Hockey BC

Field Hockey BC is pleased to announce that the Society will be prioritizing support for Community Level Coaches throughout the remainder of the 2024 season (to August 31, 2024). Field Hockey BC is offering a full (100%) refund to FHBC registered participant coaches on all registration costs for the completion of the following NCCP Community Level Context and Safe Sport Coaching Courses:

• NCCP Coach Initiation in Sport Course [Community]
• FHC: Community Coaching Course [Community]
• NCCP Fundamental Movement Skills Course [Community]
• NCCP Making Ethical Decisions Course [Safe Sport Requirement]

This investment in the Community Coaching Stream is being made again this year in recognition of the need for ALL COACHES AT ALL LEVELS to meet mandatory NCCP Coach Standards which come into effect for the 2025-2026 season. For the Spring and Summer of 2024, Field Hockey BC is providing financial support to Community level coaches. We encourage all Community level coaches to please consider taking advantage of such financial support and complete formal training in a timely fashion. Please note that there are two additional required Safe Sport courses that are not listed as they are already free to all coaches.

Please note that it is very likely that the Society will look to support Competition level coaches during the 2024-2025 field hockey season and as such Community level coaches are encouraged to take advantage of this support this season! We thank both our Community level coaches and our Member Clubs for their support in advocating for formal education this year. The Society and our Member Clubs, as well as our sanctioned Leagues would not wish to be faced with a scenario come 2025-2026 where athletes are not able to enjoy a field hockey program or season due to coaches not meeting mandatory coaching standards.

For more information on the mandatory standards required of coaches, please refer to the following NCCP coach education page on the FHBC website: https://fieldhockeybc.com/coaches/coaching-education/nccp-pathway/

Field Hockey BC thanks all our Community level coaches and Member Clubs for due consideration of this polite call to action!