2016 BC Aboriginal SOCCER Championships
Aboriginal Sport, Recreation and Physical Activity Partners Council-
Welcome
to Provincial Championships &
Development Camps
U15 and U17 divisions will compete to become Team BC for 2017 NAIG
March 21, 2016 – The Aboriginal Sport, Recreation and Physical Activity Partners Council (Partners Council) and its Provincial Aboriginal Soccer Committee are pleased to announce the bid to host the 2016 BC Aboriginal Soccer Championships has been awarded to the Prince George Native Friendship Centre (PGNFC), in partnership with the Charles Jago Northern Sport Centre. This event is scheduled to take place August 26 – 28, 2016 in Prince George, BC.
The 2016 BC Aboriginal Provincial Soccer Championships will serve as the Team BC Selection Event, whereby the winning Regional teams of the U15 and U17 divisions will earn the right to represent BC at the Toronto 2017 North American Indigenous Games (2017 NAIG).
“We are excited to have been selected as the host community partner for this elite provincial competition for Aboriginal athletes,” said PGNFC Executive Director, Barb Ward-Burkitt. “Together with our local community partners, we look forward to welcoming the Aboriginal youth soccer teams from across BC for a celebration of sport excellence and cultural pride.”
“It’s an honour for the Charles Jago Northern Sport Centre to be a partner of this top-level sporting event,” says UNBC President Daniel Weeks. “UNBC is proud of the connections we share with Aboriginal communities across the region we serve. To see an event celebrating Aboriginal excellence and success in Prince George is inspiring to our community.”
With the support of the Province of BC, grants are provided by the Partners Council to the Aboriginal communities that host events within the series of BC Aboriginal Championships and Athlete Development Camps. These annual events are an important component of the Partners Council’s Provincial Strategy as they support a coordinated Aboriginal Team BC program to better prepare athletes and coaches for upcoming NAIG and other elite competitions.
The 2016 BC Aboriginal Soccer Championships will feature Regional teams in the U15 (born 2001-2003) and U17 (born 1999-2000) age divisions for both male and female teams. Regional teams will be formed by the Partners Council’s six Regional Committees this spring in preparation for the competition. The Regional team selection events will be announced in April.
A U13 co-ed division will also be included in the Championships. As the U13 age category is not age-eligible for advancing to the 2017 NAIG, regional team qualifications are not required and this division will be open to any co-ed Aboriginal U13 team to enter and compete for the Provincial championship title.
For updated information the BC Aboriginal Championships & Athlete Development Camps, subscribe to the Partners Council mailing list or visit www.aboriginalsportbc.ca or www.facebook.com/ASRPAPartnersCouncil/.
BC Aboriginal Provincial Championships & Athlete Development Camps
An important component of the Partners Council’s Provincial Strategy, the series of Provincial Championships and Athlete Development Camps support the effort to establish a consistent, coordinated Aboriginal Team BC program and better prepare athletes and coaches for upcoming North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) and other elite competitions. The events provide a unique opportunity for Aboriginal athletes and coaches from First Nations, Métis Chartered Communities and Friendship Centres throughout the province to gather and participate or compete in events that promote sport excellence while celebrating cultural unity and pride. The summer/fall of 2016 series of Championships and Camps will be a primary component of the Team BC Talent Identification and/or Selection Processes for athletes to represent Team BC at the Toronto 2017 NAIG.
2017 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG)
The 2017 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) will take place in the City of Toronto, July 16-23, 2017. A multi-sport event for Aboriginal youth ages 13 to 19 from across North America held every three years, the NAIG celebrates sport excellence, youth, volunteerism, and Indigenous culture through a showcase of youth excellence in sport, language, tradition, art, song and ceremony. Teams come from the 13 Canadian provinces and territories and 13 regions from the United States to compete in 15 different sports. More info at www.naigcouncil.com and www.naig2017.to.
Background on the Aboriginal Sport, Recreation and Physical Activity Partners Council
The overarching mission of the Partners Council is to improve the health outcomes of Aboriginal people by supporting and encouraging physically active communities and by expanding access to sports and recreation opportunities. The Partners Council has established six regions across BC: Northwest, Northeast, Interior, Fraser, Vancouver Coastal, and Vancouver Island. This structure brings together community sport, recreation, physical activity and health leaders from within each Region to establish committees, set priorities and create annual plans for advancing sport, recreation and physical activity. For more information on the Aboriginal Sport, Recreation and Physical Activity Partners Council, please visit: www.aboriginalsportbc.ca or find us on Facebook: facebook.com/ASRPAPartnersCouncil.
For more information contact:
Alissa Derrick
Program Coordinator
E aderrick@bcaafc.com
P 1-250-388-5522