Head coach of the Fort McMurray Oil Barons Tom Keca was recently named AJHL coach of the year and is now adding to his coaching career in our community.
He will be joining the PEAK Athletic Academy team of hockey coaches and working with their junior high students.
Keca has been involved with the hockey academy at Father Mercredi High School for the last six years and for him this opportunity is very attractive.
“It’s still my desire to help out kids in minor hockey here in Fort McMurray,” said Keca.
Keca’s main focus will be with the junior high students but he will also help out in the other grades.
Scot Barr, Director of PEAK athletics said that they are excited to have Keca come on board to join their already really strong squad of coaches.
“Realistically I don’t think that there are kids anywhere in the province that can have better coaching than with Mike Carlsen and Tom Keca on the ice for our junior high program,” said Barr.
Currently PEAK has four coaches in their hockey program which is offered from grades 3-12.
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PEAK is currently operating in six schools within the Fort McMurray Public School District.
“We started as a small group of 23 hockey players and we are now have over 150 students in our programs in multiple sports,” said Barr.
They also offers basketball, soccer, cricket and dance programs.
On Monday, students from the dance program will be off to New York City where they will participate in master dance classes, get a tour of Julliard and catch some Broadway shows.
The cricket program is one the fastest growing programs at PEAK.
“We had 20 students this year and we have almost 40 already for next year,” said Barr, “and that’s unique for Fort McMurray to have a cricket program.”
Barr noted that the programs offer more than other sports academies.
“We link the student’s passion for their sport with their education,” said Barr, “Students are held up to a standard of education, they are student athletes.”
The program operates on a triangle model with athletics in one corner, academics on one side and leadership on the other.
“They got a great vision, it’s all about developing not only hockey players but creating more well-rounded individuals,” said Keca, “I think there commitment to developing a more well-rounded person is something I want to be a part of as well.”
About 54% of PEAK students at École McTavish Junior High School were on the honour roll in term one.
They are planning to add their programs into more schools next year and adding a volleyball program as well.
