The Grande Prairie Sport Council is a volunteer driven, not for profit organization representing and serving the Grande Prairie regional sport community.
We serve as a collective voice for sport in our region, striving for quality sport experiences for all and attracting, creating and retaining sport tourism opportunities for Grande Prairie region.
This e-newsletter goes out twice a month. If you would like to share your information with the community email info@gpsportcouncil.ca.
Click on any of the graphics below for more information
Grande Prairie Legends of Hockey Induction, October 3rd @ Coca-Cola Centre
As part of the 2015 Induction festivities, Clint Malarchuk has been selected as the newest member of the Legends of Grande Prairie Hockey, and will be honoured at the Official Induction luncheon at the Coca Cola Legends Lounge on Saturday , October 3.
CLINT MALARCHUK - BORN May 1, 1961
“I’m from Grande Prairie and I’m very proud of that,” asserts Clint Malarchuk who was born in Grande Prairie and moved to Edmonton at the age of five. Whenever possible he returned to Grande Prairie, where Clint insists he learned to skate and play hockey. On his Uncle Max Henning’s acreage outside of Grande Prairie and at the Finch’s farm, he developed his love for horses leading to his hockey nickname “The Cowboy Goalie”. Following his junior ranks in Portland, Clint played NHL hockey for fifteen years with the Quebec Nordique, Washington Capitals and the Buffalo Sabres earning a positive win/loss record of 141 wins, 130 losses, 45 ties, and 12 shutouts. He then moved to coaching in the minors as Head Coach with the Las Vegas Thunder and the Idaho Steel Heads, and as goalie coach for the Florida Panthers, Atlanta Thrashers, Columbus Blue Jackets and the Calgary Flames. During an NHL game in 1989 Clint’s throat was slashed by an opposing player’s skate and but for the quick thinking of the team’s trainer, Jim Pizzutelli, he would have bled to death on the ice. However, Clint is not defined either by his record as an NHL player or by the highly publicized accident on the ice. In 2014 with the help of Dan Robson, Clint completed his autobiography, The Crazy Game: How I Survived In The Crease and Beyond. It was the most difficult assignment in which he had ever engaged, exposing the emotional demons that had haunted him all of his life leading to a suicide attempt. Clint reports that all the pain and struggles are made worthwhile when at book signings people share things such as “Thanks, you saved my life.” Now that’s powerful stuff.
Clint Malarchuk, a Grande Prairie Hockey Legend in 2015.
Try-It Day is an annual event for youth 6-12 to explore sports for FREE!
All participants receive a free Try-It Day T-shirt.
Try-It Day is hosted in several facilities.
Thank you to the following facilities that have partnered with this event so far:
Eastlink Centre
Crosslink County Sportsplex
GP Curling Club
Maude Clifford Community Gym
GP Martial Arts Academy
Grande Prairie Gymnastics Centre
Wapiti Shooters Club
Komodo Martial Arts Academy
Tien Lung Taekwon-Do School
Try-It Day planning has been underway for some time now and we are thrilled to announced that the following sport organizations will be participating:
Gymniks All-Stars Cheerleading
Gymniks Parkour
Wapiti Shooters Club
Grande Prairie Fencing Club
A.P.E. (Alternative Phycical Education) Parkour
GPRC Climbing Gym
Komodo Academy - Brazilian Jiu-jitsu
Wolverines Wheelchair Sports Association
Eastlink Racquetball
Hip Flick Hoops
Eastlink Squash League
Grande Prairie Synquatics Club
Eastlink Rec Dive Club
Water Polo
GP TwistMasters Arm Wrestling Club
Grande Prairie Minor Ball Association
Piranhas Swim Club
Grande Prairie Lacrosse Association
People's White Crane Kung Fu
Shorinryu Karate Club
Sexsmith Figure Skating Club
GP Curling Club
Horangi Taekwon-Do Club
Wolves Badminton Club
Kita Kaze Judo Club
We are still waiting for confirmation from other sport groups so watch our website at www.gpsportcouncil.ca/event/try-it-day for the most recent additions!
Registration opens November 1st @ 8am
Roger's Hometown Hockey Tour Scheduled To Stop In Sunny GP!
Grande Prairie will be one of the stops on this year’s Hometown Hockey Tour. The city will be featured during the January 17th broadcast of the NHL game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Chicago Blackhawks.
Host Ron McLean will be in town to feature NHL alumni, hometown heroes, and local entertainment. Fans can take in a two days of free outdoor festivities celebrating everything hockey in our community.
McLean argues the tour of 24 towns over the 2015/2016 season is a “uniquely Canadian experience.”
GPRC Wolves Athletics registration for Minor Basketball is open! This is a 9 week program for kids ages 5 – 13 to learn the basics of the sport of Basketball. All times are Sundays at GPRC. Training assistance is provided by the GPRC Wolves Basketball Teams. For more information or to register, please check our website at https://www.gprc.ab.ca/athletics/community/clubs/minorbasketball.html.
Fall Ball registration is open - fall ball is a 5 session skills training program for kids ages 13 – 17 who wish to further enhance their training skills. All times are Sundays at GPRC. Training assistance is provided by the GPRC Wolves Basketball Teams. For more information or to register, please check our website at https://www.gprc.ab.ca/athletics/community/clubs/fallball.html.
JUNIOR BADMINTON
The Wolves Junior Badminton Club registration is open. This program is aimed at fun skill development for kids ages 10 – 16. Practices occur most Tuesday night at Mother Theresa School. For more information or to register, please check our website at https://www.gprc.ab.ca/athletics/community/clubs/badminton.html. Note registrations for this program are limited.
For further information or registration assistance please contact our Fitness Centre at 780-539-2007.
Upcoming Workshops/Seminars (for more information click on links)
Dealing with Difficult People
November 24, 2015
We all have me the Know-It-All, the Passive, the Dictator, the Yes-People, the No-People, the Gripers, etc. In this workshop we'll discuss them and how to deal with each of them in an effective manner. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cost $150 GPVSB members; $250 Non-GPVSB Members. At The Community Village.
The Professional Development Opportunities on this page are limited to those being provided by the Grande Prairie Volunteer Services Bureau.
For more information on programming contact GPVSB at 780-538-2727 or info@volunteergp.com
SAVE THE DATE FOR UPCOMING NCCP COURSES:
Part A
October 23 & 24 (Fri 6-9pm, Sat 9am-6pm)
GPRC Fairview Campus
Part B
November 6 & 7 (Fri 6-9pm, Sat 9am-6pm)
GPRC Grande Prairie Campus
Competition Development Psychology of Performance
November 20 6-9:30pm and November 21 9am-12:30pm
GPRC Grande Prairie Campus
Competition Development Managing Conflict
November 21 1:30pm – 6:00pm
GPRC Grande Prairie Campus
*Registration is now only available through the Coaching Association of Canada’s Coach Locker. Courses will be posted & registration open Aug 21st:Click here for link to website
Calling all Coaches!!
Northern Extreme Freestyle Ski Club (NEF) will be hosting an Entry Level Freestyle Coaching Clinic this Dec 5-7. The clinic covers on and off hill skills and coaching techniques with emphasis on proper turning technique, and intro to moguls, park, and slopestyle training. We do not often get such courses in Grande Prairie so please contact us to save your spot!!
Course Details:
- on hill technical work
-classroom/ video work
-discusses safety & ethics
-daily coaching plans etc.
- 3 day course (Dec 5-7)
- cost $325
Contact Amber to save your spot: (780)-402-4056 / amberpete01@gmail.com
See you on the slopes!!
Northern Extreme Freestyle NEF website
The Physical Literacy Sport For Life Summit has come and gone. With over 75 registered for the event it's clear that there is no shortage of Sport For Life Champions in the region! The Summit brought in 3 keynote speakers that are the leading authorities in Canada Sport For Life and the Long Term Athlete Development framework. Read their bio's here.
There is a local PLAY Group (Physical Literacy and You) that is growing. It's an open group of individuals that want to share resources and play a role in creating a sport for life region! Call 780 532 1164 or email info@gpsportcouncil.ca for more information.
We all love winning but development beats winning – every time. Whether it’s school sport, youth sport or club sport, for some strange reason we are still debating the merits of focusing on winning versus development. To ensure the BEST experience for all kids and to benefit all levels of sport, we need to ditch the win at all costs.
Grande Prairie teachers, educators, childcare providers and sport leaders care about Physical Literacy in the region.
It was a weekend full of learning, networking and heaps of fun! A million thank yous to the Be Fit For Life Centre and the City of Grande Prairie for hosting this event!
I look forward to continuing the journey!
Program Coordinator Position Available
The Wolverines Wheelchair Sports Association has an opening for Part Time Program Coordinator. Must have strong organizational skills, an outgoing and take charge attitude, dependable work ethic to meet deadlines, and be able to work alone and as part of a team.
Wolverines Wheelchair Sports Association is dedicated to enhancing the lives of persons with disabilities in our community by providing wellness through sport, fitness, recreation, and social activities.
Interested applicants can contact Joseph Sask for a more detailed job description at joseph.sask@sunlife.com
Sport advocates that become members of the Grande Prairie Sport Council have an opportunity to play a role in influencing the growth and enhancement of sport in our region.
Members include individuals, sport and other community organizations, and business. Only individual members may hold office.
To learn more about the benefits of becoming a member check out our website at www.gpsportcouncil.ca
