A new hockey program is making waves at a high school in French River. It’s a first for Conseil Scolaire du Grand Nord, the area’s French public school board, and its school, Ecole de la Riviere-des-Francais. Roughly a dozen students have signed up for the program, which will offer high school credits at the end of the semester. “We talked it over for the last two years and last year we said now,” said principal Christian Giroux. “This year is the year to go ahead and do it. The kids really wanted to, so we went ahead and we were really, really surprised by the (number of) kids that participated in this program.” Giroux said it’s all about motivating students and the reaction from the student body has been positive. They’re hoping to make this permanent and a pillar of their programming. Hockey is an expensive sport for families who have young kids looking to take part. Giroux said they have found a way to make sure anyone who wants to can take part, eliminating any barriers. Free ice time “The community gave us the ice for free, so they backed us up and they said if you put the program on, we’ll give you the ice for free,” he said. Sophie is the only girl on the team. She plays hockey on her own and thought it was a fun and interesting opportunity. “I’m newer to hockey, so I just wanted to get better and get more training as the division I’m in is a lot harder,” she said. “I wanted to learn new skills.” Braden lives in Noelville and said he’s been playing hockey since the age of two. He jumped at the chance to be able to take a course in hockey with a qualified teacher. “I just played hockey a long time; I joined here when I learned it was happening,” Braden said. “There’s a few good guys out there; they’re pretty good! You just gotta keep up and make sure your head is up. That’s a big thing.” “The results of such a program aren’t just measured by the goals scored, but by the discipline and perseverance that students acquire and carry over into all their achievements,” Giroux said. With the program in its initial stages, the school is working to obtain accreditation with the Hockey Canada Skills Academy.
