The Lloydminster Public School Division and the Golden Ticket Sports’ Hoops Factory are teaming up to have space where they say students can get elite-level training in their chosen sport.
The program will operate much like the LPSD Hockey Academy. Students will be bussed to the Hoop Factory facility, where they’ll meet with expert coaches in volleyball, basketball, badminton, and track and field. It’ll be open to students in grades 5-8.
Golden Tickets co-founder Chris King says while basketball has been their focus since opening Hoops Factory, adding more sports will be an easy transition.
“[The LPSD] really had a desire to push their entire sports base, and it’s something we feel pretty confident of, in terms of attracting the right coaches into place.”
Students will register with their school, and from there will operate on a rotating schedule throughout the week. King notes that they plan to have plans to accommodate up to 70 students into the LPSD sports academy, which is about what their facility can support right now.
He explains that through the academy, students will get a lot of on and off the field skills for all parts of their lives.
“I think the biggest thing, at that age, is hopefully they take a passion for sports. They pick up a lot of skills they can transfer into other sports, but also, all the things that sports provide for students. The dedication, the determination, the perseverance and doing the extra work. All the things that help make them successful in the classroom as well as on the court or in the field.”
The LPSD Sports Academy is set to open in September of 2021.