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More funding announced
Even more Aboriginal groups in British Columbia can benefit from additional funding to the Local Sport Development Program (LSDP). The provincial government announced in early December that it was providing an additional $100,000 in funding to the program. Stephanie Cadieux, the minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development, made the announcement about the additional funding. The LSDP was created in 2008 as part of the 2010 Legacies Now venture, borne out of the Vancouver Winter Olympics.Community organizations can apply for some of the funding in order to launch new programs. Or they can expand on existing programs. Each program can receive a maximum of $2,000. Those eligible for the funding include Aboriginal groups, municipalities and not-for-profit organizations that deliver organized sport programs. So far funding has provided some type of sporting activity for about 3,400 people in 58 communities across the province. One of the projects that has benefited Aboriginal youth already was a six-week basketball program offered by the Wachiay Friendship Centre in Courtenay. And another project that saw Aboriginal youth benefit was when Delta Gymnastics and the Tsawwassen First Nations Recreation Centre combined to develop a pilot gymnastics program, which was held on the First Nation.
Texas teammates
A pair of Aboriginal hockey players from Alberta, who are both third-year pros, now find themselves starring on the same minor pro team. Colton Yellow Horn, who is Blackfoot and from Brocket, Alta., and Judd Blackwater, who is from the Blood First Nation, are members of the Allen Americans, who compete in the Central Hockey League. The Americans, a second-year franchise, play their home contests in Allen, Texas.
Yellow Horn, a 23-year-old forward, also played a portion of last year with the Americans. For Blackwater, who is also 23 and a forward, this marks his first season with the Allen squad. The two Aboriginal players are among the Americans’ top scorers. As of mid-December, Yellow Horn was third in team scoring with 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists) in 22 games. Blackwater was in fourth place among Allen scorers with 23 points, including 10 goals, in 22 matches.
For Yellow Horn, the Americans are the fourth team he has suited up for since turning pro. He previously played in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) with the Elmira Jackals and Stockton Thunder. And he also spent a portion of the 2008-09 season with Salzburg, a club in Austria.
Blackwater has also changed addresses a few times during his pro career. He played in the ECHL with Stockton, Fresno Falcons and Alaska Aces. He also had stints in the higher calibre American Hockey League with both the Rochester Americans and Rockford IceHogs.
New program launched
A new initiative, dubbed the Aboriginal Champions Program, is getting off the ground in Saskatchewan. The program is seeking to celebrate the accomplishments of Aboriginal athletes, coaches and supporters.
Those who are selected as “Champions” will then be able to promote the benefits of sports and act as role models, hopefully encouraging other Aboriginals to participate in sports.
The program is supported by Sask Sport Inc., which is the federation of the various sport governing bodies in the province. And support is provided through the organization’s Building Communities Through Sport initiative.
Anybody can nominate an individual for the Aboriginal Champions Program. They can be nominated for outstanding contributions to a sport, either as an athlete, coach or supporter. Nominees, however, must be Aboriginal and they must also live in Saskatchewan.
The eventual champions will be selected by members of Sask Sport Inc’s Aboriginal Sport Leadership Council. Those who are selected as Aboriginal Champions will be expected to make various public appearances at schools, sporting events and Aboriginal events.
The nomination process closes Jan. 30, 2011. More information is available by calling (306) 780-9425.
Flin Flon hosts games
Manitoba’s Norman Games (‘Nor’ for Northern and ‘man’ for Manitoba) will be held in Flin Flon from Jan. 28 to 30, 2011. These games provide athletes from northern Manitoba to compete in a multi-sport competition, thus preparing them for possible future competitions, such as the Manitoba Indigenous Games or the Power Smart Manitoba Games. Sports that will be contested at the 2011 Norman Games are badminton, basketball, cross-country skiing, curling, darts, hockey and volleyball. Besides various youth categories, some of the sports also offer adult divisions.
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