Field hockey is a popular sport around the world and on Saturday, Calgary kids were encouraged to try it out. All they need to make it just as popular in Calgary are a few more good fields. Saturday, Calgary Ward 5 Councillor Raj Dhaliwal and a group of local athletes were joined by Adam van Koeverden, the federal Secretary of State (Sport) and Kyle Breckenridge, the vice-president of Field Hockey Alberta in a northeast Calgary gym for a try-it day of field hockey, indoors-style. Dhaliwal said he believed that with a little more infrastructure, the sport could explode in popularity in the city. “It is all about giving the resources to these kids, and giving them the infrastructure that they can play on,” Dhaliwal said. “You can see this field, this is not a field hockey field. They shouldn’t be playing on it, but they don’t have that luxury.” Field Hockey Alberta’s Breckenridge said that meeting with a city councillor and a representative from the federal government was the first steps towards developing a funding relationship. He estimated that the construction of a water-based outdoor field, constructed at an international standard, will cost around $10 million. “What we’re hoping to get out is awareness of the sport, and then also awareness of the needs of first facilities,” Breckenridge said. “Like all sports, we’re lacking on the supply side.” Van Koeverden came from Banff, where the Liberal cabinet was meeting. He said the feds have created a $1 billion fund “to get more kids active playing sports, creating more positive sporting environments for all Canadians, and continuing to perform on the world stage.” Might that include $10 million or so for a new water-based outdoor field, constructed at an international standard? “Well, absolutely,” Van Koeverden said. “We’re working with municipalities across the country as well as with national sport organizations. With that $1 billion building sport plan, from playground to podium, we want more facilities, more infrastructure, more great opportunities for kids to play -- and that starts at the playground.”
